


Cory/Shawn ship manifesto

by merrymelody



Category: Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World
Genre: M/M, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28690995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrymelody/pseuds/merrymelody
Summary: Covering all seven seasons, plus Girl Meets World; with an end chapter for fanwork recs.
Relationships: Shawn Hunter/Cory Matthews
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	1. introduction

**Cory Matthews – You’re honest, loyal and decent. Cory, that’s you.**

The titular Boy Meet(ing the) World, Cory Matthews is a character who’s ‘average’ in all areas, apart from his faith, devotion and loyalty to the people he loves.  
The original show ran for seven seasons in the ‘90s (then three seasons of the rebooted sequel ‘Girl Meets World’) and covered Cory Matthews’ life from sixth grade until college, introducing us to a shifting cast of characters that include his family, friends and long-time mentor and teacher, Mr Feeny. 

The conceit of an average middle child is one that gradually stretched over seasons, and several aspects of the show were retooled or phased out. Characters often shifted depending on trope demands (for example, Topanga Lawrence, introduced in S1 as Cory’s first girlfriend, goes from a nonconformist hippy child to a much more conventional girlfriend figure, and with this, their past was altered from their onscreen relationship in the first season as new friends to having known each other since infancy.) With his shift to a more comedic character, Cory in later seasons can be prone to being insensitive or over-reacting. However, the one aspect of the show that never shifts is his close relationship with Shawn Hunter. 

**Shawn Hunter – You’re Shawn Hunter, you were raised by wolves, you’re my friend! What else do you need to know?**

Shawn is the only character other than Cory who features in every episode of Boy Meets World. Cory’s best friend, Shawn is slowly established as having a troubled homelife. His family struggle for money, and his parents are loving but unreliable, causing Shawn to become the more rebellious of himself and Cory. As Shawn grows older, he can be self-destructive and push others away, but he’s grounded by the people he loves, particularly Cory.

Shawn goes from portrayed as comically dim in early seasons, to a talented writer in later episodes (reversing Cory’s brother Eric’s arc, who goes from a popular high schooler to a goofy idiot as the show progresses) but even in the early seasons, Shawn is like Cory, a particularly emotionally literate and sensitive friend, with a loyalty to Cory surpassing even Topanga. A fatalistic cynic to Cory’s romantic idealist, Shawn can be dramatic, but is self-aware and approaches his problems with humour. 

**The pairing - It’s always been you and me, it’s you and me now and it’s gonna be you and me forever.**

Cory and Shawn are often characters that mirror each other, not only in their beliefs and approaches to situations, but as a plot point. While they struggle due to differences such as class (Shawn’s family live in a trailer park, in comparison to the Matthews, who seem to enjoy a middle-class lifestyle) and socially (Shawn is more popular, and while he associates primarily with Cory, Cory is aware that Shawn, Topanga and his brother Eric are more traditionally good looking, while he views himself in earlier seasons as a ‘geek’); Cory and Shawn tend to copy each other. For example, Cory initially wants to date only because Shawn becomes interested in girls. Likewise, Shawn begins his first serious relationship in an effort to be ‘like Cory and Topanga.’

They influence each other (to a degree Cory’s father finds threatening) and can easily persuade each other into foolish actions (Cory even mentions jumping off a bridge because Shawn asked him to.) 

They mirror each other also, swapping costumes and identities (at one point, Cory imagines Topanga dressed in Shawn’s clothes), naming their pets after each other, adopting each other’s phrases, and even sharing dreams. At one point, Mr Feeny reprimands Cory. Cory argues ‘That wasn’t me, it was Shawn!’ to Feeny’s dismissive ‘Same thing.’

Dreams even become a theme in their relationship – in S5, Shawn dreams he’s killed everyone around him (in a homage to the then recent release ‘Scream’) except Cory and Topanga.  
In S6, Cory, worried that his upcoming marriage to Topanga will ‘change things between (Shawn) and (himself)’ dreams that he’s killing everyone around him except himself and Topanga.  
In S7, Topanga, post-marriage and a fight in which Cory reveals he’s envious of her over-achieving and that she’s ‘killed (his) spirit’ dreams that Cory (with the ever present Shawn egging him on) has killed her in revenge for her ‘perfect’ ways.  
Cory and Shawn are familiar with each other’s dreams (including an unknown ‘clown’ nightmare both are mentioned to have; and a repeated dream Cory has in which he wins Miss World) and even share a few onscreen (such as a fantasy in which Shawn kisses a girl while lying at Cory’s feet, as Cory eats grapes; and a fantasy in which they begin their senior year surrounded by girls, while Topanga is worshipped by several jocks.) 

As expected for a 90s sitcom, the show can walk the line between portraying a close m/m relationship and homophobia, and this is interestingly expressed both comedically and seriously from Cory’s father, Alan, who worries about both of his son’s sexualities (Eric, like Cory, has extremely close relationships with his friends) and at one point even asks Amy, their mom, if Cory ‘enjoys’ kissing Topanga. Cory has an early interest in journalism, and prompted by a class reading of ‘Black Like Me’, suggests cross-dressing as a woman, to Alan’s instant: ‘Nope. Don’t want you to.’

An episode in which Cory and Shawn get drunk for the first time is punctuated by an angry Alan shouting that he’s sick of overlooking ‘the influence you have on my kid’, to which Shawn, ambiguously, retorts that Cory wanted ‘to feel good, and I showed him how.’ (You could find a real deep read on this with regards to Alan, who identifies strongly with Shawn, and mentions to Cory that he had a friend, Richie, who was the Cory to his Shawn, and whom he sometimes led astray. It should also be mentioned that despite Alan’s worry, he views Shawn as a member of his family, and ‘the best friend my kid ever had’.) 

Eric, too, states ‘I want my own room’ after hearing a conversation between Cory and Shawn. 

Jokes which skirt around an incestuous and/or familial subtext sometimes appear (Cory refers to ‘raising Topanga’, Eric admiring a ring Cory has purchased for Topanga remarks: ‘We’re brothers, it would be wrong!’) and in context of that, it’s interesting that both Cory and Shawn refer to being both brothers (in fact, Shawn views Cory as ‘more’ his brother than Jack, his half-brother that he meets in his late teens) but also each other’s parents.  
Both Cory and his father mention to Shawn and Cory respectively how they ended up ‘In a room. With you.’  
Cory adopts the nickname of ‘Shawnie’ when addressing Shawn that Shawn’s parents, Chet and Virna call him.  
When Cory fears Shawn will not attend college with himself and Topanga, he says ‘If I was your father, Shawn, I’d spank you, because that’s what you deserve, a big spanking. Now take down your pants!’  
Likewise, when Cory and Topanga, post-marriage, look for a new dorm, they crash with Shawn and Angela, acting like spoilt children and demanding food, to which Shawn and Angela reflect: ‘I hate the kids.’ 

Other themes including closets and lockers which the pair constantly hide in (I made count at over a dozen), and references to gender reversals and/or confusions. 

Shawn lurks in the girl’s bathroom, claiming to be tapped into ‘the girls network’, and has thought ‘before’ about what name he’d go by as a girl. One episode plays off the Cyrano trope, as Shawn aids a bully in wooing his girlfriend by proxy. Both Shawn and Cory police each other over acting appropriately masculine (‘guys don’t ask guys that’) as does Topanga, who upon watching them hug, exclaims ‘Stop it, you’re boys.’ They refer to each other by neutral endearments (‘darling’, ‘my Shawn’, ‘babe’), and come up with feminised codenames for themselves (‘Dawn’ and ‘Dory’), both expressing confusion about their role as men (‘We do what men do!’ ‘Right. What is that?’) 

Even within Cory and Topanga’s relationship, Cory often seems to long for a more traditionally feminised role, referring to himself as ‘up here in my dress’ at their wedding, telling her ‘I’m through with men’, pleading with her ‘Never take me there’, calling her ‘the man in this relationship’ and mentioning how he’ll be her ‘first lady.’ He also pictures Topanga in Shawn’s clothes, and imagines her kissing a rival, Lips Roosevelt, with a POV shot of himself in Topanga's place and Roosevelt kissing him. While dressed as his feminine alter ego for his school article, Cora, he flirts with both Topanga and Shawn.

Shawn seems similarly conflicted, sometimes reminding Cory when efforts such as Cory bringing him flowers is ‘not (appropriate)’, at other times, viewing not only Cory, but also other males as viable romantic partners (he mentions admiring ‘big hands’; hands a jock a bouquet of flowers, which the jock views as a genuine approach; and talks about how his mailman sent him a Valentine and the social expectation he feels to return one.) In S6 he breaks up with his girlfriend Angela, in part because he wants to see ‘other people’, and this is a preceded by a running joke in which Cory is afraid to enter a unisex bathroom. A visitor to the bathroom, a nude man, enters, and each time we’re met with a ‘Wow’ reaction from an impressed bathroom inhabitant, the first being Topanga and the next being Shawn.

**Topanga – A Guy Can Do No Better Than Topanga Lawrence**

Topanga was introduced in S1 as a hippy, flower-child type. (The S1 cast also included a ‘geek’ character, Stuart Minkus, and while Topanga is presented as a potential first love interest for Cory, she’s also often paired with Minkus, who has a crush on her.)  
When taking on a more central role as a regular, Topanga was rebooted into a more everygirl figure, then as the show developed further, an academic star. 

Continuity varies on Cory/Topanga – in S1, she doesn’t even know Cory has a brother, by S2 they’ve known each other since infancy. This is partly retconned in later episodes (Cory claims Eric told him not to play with girls), however this idealisation of the past could be seen as in fitting with the pairs’ characterisation (both mention several different ‘firsts’ such as kisses, dates and fights) as a pair who desperately crave conformity. (This is also paralleled with Cory and Shawn’s past – S1 mentions them as being friends since their playpens, S3 that Shawn has been in ten schools and was born in Ohio, and S5 has Cory and Shawn meeting aged six.)

In early seasons, Cory’s pursuit of Topanga seems larger about social norms – he mentions a desire to keep up with Shawn; as well as wanting to ‘walk through life’ with someone ‘because that’s what you do’. In S2, he dates a girl called Wendy, who he alternately is intimidated by and comforted by, as she views their relationship as a life-long commitment, and he fantasises about a future in which they’ve stayed together into old age (interestingly represented by a dream sequence of him and Shawn as elderly men, with Wendy herself offscreen.) 

Likewise, Topanga has longings even in her first season for a more traditional approval from her peers, particularly males. She develops a crush on Eric, and when he compliments her for being intelligent, she offers 'I don’t have to be'. She also refers to her enjoyment of a compliment as ‘superficial’, and how she hopes to change from a ‘caterpillar to a butterfly’. A flashback in 'Girl Meets World' to Topanga’s younger self suggests she sacrificed individuality in order to gain more success, both academically and professionally (she eventually becomes a ‘shark’-like lawyer) as well as personally (Mr Feeny suggests at one point her desire to marry Cory early and reject an Ivy League education in favour of him is perhaps a repressed fear of wider spheres and competition outside the little pond that is her high school and college experience.) 

**Angela – You’ve got a beautiful, honest, sweet, loving woman that loves you.**

Angela Moore was introduced in S5 as a love interest for Shawn. Angela’s an interesting character, mirroring Shawn, both in her cynicism versus Topanga’s romanticism, as well as her desire not to commit to a relationship (due to her past as an army brat.) 

Shawn dates her, but according to his own self-inflicted policy, ends it after two weeks. However, when he finds a lost purse, he decides he’s in love with the girl who owns it; which turns out to be Angela. (There’s a certain level of depersonalisation to Shawn and her relationship, here, lampshaded in the Girl Meets World episode in which Cory and Topanga’s daughter Riley comments that ‘He fell in love with a concept. It was doomed from the start.’ There’s also an attempt for Shawn and Angela to have common interests; but Boy Meets World, for all it’s good points, was never particularly interested in fleshing out their female parts, and only vaguely commits to Angela having outside interests, which by S6 have been boiled down to…being black; a poor treatment of the character which was sadly matched by actress Trina McGee's on set treatment by cast and producers.) 

Angela’s refreshing, as she represents a normal friendship as opposed to the co-dependency of both Cory/Topanga and Cory/Shawn – she urges Topanga to hold off on marriage not from envy, but because she believes they’re too young (a viewpoint Cory and Topanga eventually see as at least somewhat valid in later seasons, as they struggle to move from their luxurious dorms to married college accommodations.) At Cory and Topanga’s wedding, while Shawn weeps and rails; Angela is upset at the idea of seeing Topanga less; but upon Topanga’s ‘Do you want me to call it off?’, Angela rallies: ‘I want you to be happy.’ 

Cory and Topanga can prioritise their relationship slightly over their friendships (Topanga hurts her roommates Angela and Rachel when a prank war results and she immediately favours the boys; while Cory even into 'Girl Meets World' tests Shawn: ‘Ask me who I like more - you or Topanga?’), however they both struggle with envy over said friendships – Topanga often refers to having bitterness over Shawn and Cory’s bond; and Cory can be resentful of Shawn’s relationships with girls right up until Girl Meets World. However, interestingly, neither Shawn nor Angela ever get envious of the other one’s closeness or loyalty to their friends. 

Their relationship can be one of informed attributes by the narrative, however – while in S5, Shawn puts large amounts of pressure on their relationship to match Cory and Topanga’s, and in S6, breaks up with her in order to ‘be free’; in S7, this is reversed, and Angela is blamed by both Shawn and her father for deserting Shawn, who has decided he would like to reconcile.  
Angela leaves in the penultimate episode of the show, to travel with her father, which Shawn encourages (in perhaps his first unselfish act in their relationship, which primarily focused on his needs), despite knowing it will probably be the end of their own relationship.  
She returns for an episode of 'Girl Meets World', and the narrative again centres Shawn, describing him as ‘the one who gets left’ (even comparing Angela to Katy’s husband, who abandoned her and their child in poverty) and arguing that Angela left him because she ‘wasn’t ready’.


	2. season 1

**S1 Why Don’t You Just Marry Shawn?**

The earliest episodes of Boy Meet World begin with a more traditional structure, centring around a single plot and focused on Cory’s family, and sixth grade teacher Mr Feeny.

**Cory/Shawn**

This season quickly establishes Cory and Shawn as best friends (while Rider Strong is in the S1 credits, it was apparently planned for Cory to have two best friends; however, the other child actor didn’t recall their lines as well, so future parts for friend roles became specific to Shawn.) They speak and gesture in unison, refer to themselves as a unit (‘I love how we think!’) and team, and even have their own dance routine. They also wait for each other after class (something which Shawn describes in S2 as offputtingly committed in a girlfriend.) 

In early episodes, Cory struggles for an individual identity within his role as the middle child of his family, and often adds titles to ‘boy’ such as ‘I’m Scuba boy’ or ‘Lid Boy’. One of these roles is assistance to Shawn, and when Shawn runs away from home, Cory excitedly suggests: ‘I’m your accomplice!’ 

While Shawn is the rulebreaker of the pair, he also has an instinct for avoiding trouble that Cory lacks (‘do yourself a favour. Don’t complicate your life.’) and Cory can often act the class clown, motivated in part by attempts to amuse or impress Shawn (‘Yesterday you worshipped me as a god for quitting (the school play)!’)

For his part, even in a minor role in early episodes, Shawn is supportive, being first to clap Cory in class, and when Cory fails to distinguish himself in athletics, brings him an article on Barry Bonds, suggests his omission from the roster has ‘gotta be a typo’ and offers ‘Lighten up, maybe you’ll score twenty points’. 

Strong episodes for the two include ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ (a title which confusingly, is reused for a season six episode, also set at Christmas) and ‘The Fugitive’; which express the themes of their friendship: that Shawn can have a tendency to run or be mistrustful of other’s motives; that Cory is the better behaved of the two due to his parents influence (or as Shawn calls it, being ‘mommy whipped’), that Cory enjoys nurturing Shawn (‘Are you hungry? Get out of that wet stuff!’) and is a positive influence on his life (when Cory and Feeny swap roles, Shawn’s grade rises, with Cory concluding that he ‘got his attention’), sometimes the only one (‘I got friends…I can get through anything.’)   
The episode ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ establishes Shawn’s family’s financial difficulties (although even Shawn’s family seemed to develop rather than be planned from the first – another episode has Cory shocked at the idea that Shawn’s father would ‘take time off work’ to see his play, which draws quite a different impression of Chet than is shown in later episodes.) It also features Cory and Shawn’s first real tension, as Shawn resents Cory’s charity. 

Mr Feeny, overhearing, hints that while Cory’s motives were good, his execution was tactless (‘You should be thanking me!’) When Minkus suggests purchasing a Christmas gift for Mr Feeny from the class, Cory quietly pays Shawn’s share, telling Minkus it was money he owed Shawn. Shawn realises what Cory did for him, and they reconcile, with Shawn letting Cory win (‘Nah, I let you have it.’) and they conclude with Shawn keeping his gift from Cory, a basketball, while Cory keeps the net. 

This episode also establishes two interesting themes – Cory and Shawn initially didn’t purchase each other gifts (‘We never give each other stuff for Christmas!’), and Cory’s excited to do so (‘Doncha love me?’) In a S4 episode, the positions reverse and after finding a job, Shawn is thrilled to have the money to buy Cory a gift for once, purchasing him an engraved watch.  
The second theme is Shawn’s statement: ‘Cory, best friends don’t lie to each other’, which continues throughout the show. In later episodes, while Cory and Shawn can mislead their girlfriends, parents and teachers; both can instantly recognise when the other is lying. 

The episode ‘The Fugitive’ explores the similarities between Alan and Shawn. (In fact, Cory is jealous of the two attending a fishing trip together in another episode, commenting that his father is ‘cheating on him with someone else’s son.’)   
Shawn blows up a mailbox with a cherry bomb, and hides out at Cory’s house. Alan, aware of this but not letting on, talks to his son, sharing that while he sympathises with Shawn, he’s concerned that Shawn has rough edges and could ‘go one of two ways’, and that he hoped Shawn’s friendship with Cory would aid Shawn in making the right decisions, as Shawn, like Alan, has a tendency to be impulsive (an example that Alan uses is getting married at 15, which Cory deems a ‘dumb idea’, ironic, as Cory and Topanga end up getting married at a young age.)   
Shawn remains resolute, and Cory physically stands in his way, saying: ‘Fine, wipe the floor with me’ (Ben Savage was at this stage much smaller than Rider Stronger. Adorably, Shawn sometimes acts as a ‘bodyguard’ to Cory.) Cory refuses to lie further, and Shawn hides in school. Feeny discovers him and Shawn assumes Cory ratted him out. Feeny points out the one betraying their friendship is Shawn. Shawn argues that he’d do the same for Cory, and establishes a long-running character beat with a line about how the only thing he’s 'not worried about' in his life is Cory’s and his friendship.   
Cory begs Shawn to ‘come back to my side of the line’ (e.g. the line between normal kid misbehaviour and criminal actions.) Shawn objects, as his parents will ground him for a year, and Cory promises ‘I’ll see you in a year’ (a line that’s returned to when he himself is grounded in S5.) The episode ends with Cory and Shawn excitedly screaming during their ‘touching reunion’.

The final significant theme for the pair overarches over several episodes, as they discover girls. 

As they do so, it becomes apparent that Cory, at least, is insecure about both his appearance and what he sees as girl’s unwelcome interjection into his life. 

An early episode features him worrying about his hair. It’s fascinating to see here how even at their young age, the boys are very aware of masculine norms (‘Stallone drinks raw eggs!’) as well as conforming generally – even Shawn, the daredevil, is dismissive of the ‘nerds’ protesting the dismissal of an elderly teacher, wondering ‘Don’t they care what they look like?’ Likewise, he corrects Cory with a ‘Guys don’t ask guys that question’, when Cory asks about hair.   
He touches Cory’s head, joking ‘You’re more like a nerf head’, but at Cory’s upset: ‘You knew this and you didn’t tell me?’, Shawn is actually genuinely uncomfortable at Cory’s self-criticism, saying ‘You got curly hair, big deal. Can we move on now?’ (This crops up in a later episode, where Cory feels ugly, and Shawn confronts Topanga with the issue, saying that in his opinion, Cory is 'a good looking guy' who lacks confidence.) 

When learning how to scuba dive, both are afraid to take off their shirts (‘Oh yeah, let’s see what you got?’), and are intimidated by Topanga wearing a bathing suit in front of them, and how their arch-rival, Minkus impresses her with his complimentary, mature attitude (‘What’s Minkus doing?’ ‘I don’t know, but he’s doing it better than us!’) Shawn tells Cory ‘snap out of it, she’s just a girl in a bathing suit, insult her!’, but Cory retorts ‘No, from now on, I’m gonna be insulting you.’

It's another note of interest that in later seasons, Shawn is referred to as having always supported Cory and Topanga being a couple; however in S1, he often mocks her (‘Use a mirror, babe’), or suggests she and Minkus should pair up instead (‘love is blooming in the nerd set.’)   
In an episode in which the kids are expected to form a model family (with Cory and Topanga as the parents and Minkus and Shawn as the children), Minkus complains: ‘Doncha hate it when Mom and Dad fight?’ Shawn replies: ‘No…into it!’ When he comments on the pair, it’s often to tease Cory (‘I hear a lot of men treat the women they love (poorly)’ ‘I’ll kill you, Shawn!’)

Likewise, Cory is resentful and jealous when Shawn discovers girls, to the point that when they shake hands, vowing to remain friends, he refuses to detach and is dragged along by Shawn pursuing a nearby girl. He directly compares himself with Hilary, Shawn’s date (‘Wouldn’t you rather play one on one with Hilary?’ and at Shawn’s comment that she’s ‘majorly twisted’ as the two spent their date throwing maltballs at people’s heads; Cory remarks ‘Oh, and suddenly I’m not?’) 

When asked to write about his ideal spouse, he dreams up someone who: ‘won’t care how dirty my room gets, will always let me win at video games’ (a cute grace note, but Shawn mentions when the two ‘break up’ in a later episode that Cory’s new best friend should ‘let him win sometimes, he likes that’) and ‘play street hockey at any time of day or night.’ To this, Topanga suggests ‘Why don’t you just marry Shawn?’ 

Eric is impressed by Shawn’s forays into dating, and suggests he could help Shawn with this, something that provokes further envy from Cory.   
Eric advises that Cory should find ‘someone you’re comfortable with, someone you could share a meal with, and someone who doesn’t mind having you around’, and while this is sage, Cory’s actions in this episode are almost all solely prompted by attempts to keep up with Shawn, and he does seem truly resentful of the assumption that puberty and ‘hormones’ will bring changes, specifically to his relationship with Shawn: ‘I don’t want girls to like me, why do things have to change? Let everyone else go nuts. We stay the same, forever.’ At the end, they conclude ‘It’s always been you and me, it’s you and me now and it’s gonna be you and me forever’ and that ‘we’re gonna stay best friends through 2nd dates, prom, engagements, marriages, second marriages…’


	3. season 2

**S2 If you belong here, then I belong here**

The wider theme of this season is Cory and Shawn establishing themselves at their new school, and feeling lost and confused about their identities (‘I don’t know who I am!’ is a common refrain) as mere seventh graders. This season introduces more B-plots.

S2 encompasses some fairly familiar ground in school plots (the boys form a band, are tempted to cheat on a quiz, start a radio show, etc) with the pairing of Cory and Shawn (and the B-team of Eric and his best friend, Jason) taking on a more central role than ever before, as Cory’s family and Feeny take a backseat. While the plots themselves can be generic and repetitive, the chemistry of the pair(s) and the genuine bond between them papers over the cracks. 

The season begins as previous regular Minkus has been written out, and Topanga rebooted (‘Summer was very good to you!’) 

The boys are markedly gladder to see her in a school full of strangers, and all three hug. Topanga’s characterisation is in flux at this point – she’s now much more ‘normal’, however, her and Cory are not yet established as having the lifelong history of coupledom that’s later referred to, and both date other people. Shawn, however, is more enthused by the pairing than he was in S1 (‘Tell her how much you love her!’)

Shawn is by this stage, dating casually but frequently (or as he puts it, he falls in love ‘five times a day’), with a repeating joke of him being found inside lockers, kissing girls. His hair is jokingly suggested as the reason for his success with the opposite sex (‘(It’s) easy for you, your hair moves’!) 

It’s also shown that Shawn, while like Cory, still feeling at sea in a new environment, is better known and more popular in the student body.  
In one episode, Cory receives an invitation to a party, while Shawn doesn’t, confusing them both (‘You’re the coolest guy in class, you’ve gotta be!’) Cory offers to not attend, but Shawn tells him to go. The party turns out to be a ‘geek’ party, where only the most well-behaved boys were approved by the girl’s parents, and Cory exits, finding Shawn at the local burger joint, Chubbies, surrounded by other guys. Cory is intimidated, to Shawn’s confusion. Cory explains that as a geek, he’ll embarrass Shawn, and he should ‘do us both a favour and call it quits now’ but Shawn reminds him: ‘You’re my best friend, man’ and they ‘bail’, Shawn telling Cory: ‘You’re Cory, I’m Shawn, just like it’s always been. What else do you need to know?’

This plotline is then reversed towards the end of S2, in which Shawn is rejected by a girl for his perceived low social standing. He and Cory have chosen to write biographies of each other for a class assignment, and Shawn becomes rapidly aware of the difference in their lifestyles. He decides to join the gang of bullies, telling Cory ‘It’s time we both faced the facts. Cory, you and I are different, and sooner or later we’re gonna end up in different places…Why don’t we both just do us a favour right now and call it quits?’  
Cory, frustrated, hits a locker (this is repeated in a S5 episode when he fights with Shawn; and Shawn does the same thing after they argue in a S3 episode), and Feeny explains that ‘sometimes people can push you away when they need you the most’.  
Cory realises: ‘he must really need me’ and follows Shawn, who is about to vandalise favourite teacher Mr Turner’s motorcycle.  
Shawn orders Cory to leave, but Cory insists: ‘If you belong here, then I belong here.’ Turner arrives, and while Shawn is convinced he’s worthless, Turner points out that a ‘lowlife’ wouldn’t have a friend who thinks so highly of him, they’re willing to put their own neck on the line. Cory reverses Shawn’s line from the geek party episode: ‘You’re Shawn Hunter….you’re my friend. What else do you need to know?’ and the episode concludes with Shawn seeking Turner’s approval (‘You need to think you’re alright!’ ‘YOU think I’m alright?’), foreshadowing his fostering Shawn at the end of the season.

Cory continues to remain reluctant about dating (referring to ‘people who’ve committed themselves to the single life. People like you and me.’) and is teased over his ‘freezing’ at a make-out party featuring ‘Seven Minutes in the Closet’ (‘Right up until the second you go into that closet, I’m right here with you, no matter what. Cause it’s Cory and Shawn. Shawn and Cory…Cory, the closet is your friend.’) 

In an episode entitled ‘The Beard’, he agrees to a proposition by Shawn to date a girl Shawn likes in order to keep her ‘safe’ while Shawn two-times her; and ends up interested in her himself. However, the girl, Linda, accurately summarises that the boys aren’t interested in girls but instead objects and competition; and the episode ends with the two shaking hands, as Cory reflects that while he’s lost his ‘first girlfriend’, his ‘best friend (finally) respects him’ as a romantic rival. 

Likewise, other plots involve Cory evading the attentions of a bully’s sister, Shawn making over a date of Cory’s to be ‘cool’, Shawn and Cory roleplaying lines for said bully, Harley Kiner, in order that he impress his girlfriend (a situation Shawn suggests they evade by dress(ing) up as girls, pretend(ing) we’re our out of town cousins, and say we haven’t seen ourselves.’) 

Shawn suggests Cory asks Topanga to a dance (interestingly, while he says this, he’s alternately pouting, hiding his mouth, and picking repeatedly at a sticker), knowing Cory would prefer her to an unfamiliar girl (‘I want someone I know, who knows me’ - Cory's wishlist, as in S1, seems to fit Shawn far better than Topanga 

); however, Cory decides it ‘shows no growth to ask someone I’ve known since I was five.’

While it’s perfectly natural and normal for someone so young to feel uncomfortable and hesitant at the idea of romantic relationships, Cory really does register as pursuing girls purely to avoid being recognised as ‘different’ even at this age, with conversations with Topanga such as ‘I don’t want this anymore than you do, but everyone around here is pairing off, and I think you and I should spare ourselves a lot of uncoolness and walk through life together.’  
Topanga rejects him hilariously (‘Is there somebody else?’ ‘There’s everybody else.’) saying that it wouldn’t be worth losing a friendship that could last a lifetime for ‘one passionate week’, and reassuring him ‘I’m sure there’s someone out there for you.’  
(It seems significant that Cory fixates on Topanga’s gender: ‘My girl. My friend. My girlyfriend’, while Topanga tends to use more gender neutral terms when talking to Cory about his finding a partner. Topanga also immediately shuts down Cory using pet names: ‘May I call you honey?’ ‘No.’ while Cory and Shawn use these to refer to each other: ‘Sit, darling, I’ll make you some cocoa.’)

When he dates ‘lots of girls’ it’s because ‘Shawn told me…that’s what you do.’ At one point, Cory tells Topanga ‘I want to do what everyone else is doing’, and she accurately recognises ‘So…you’re just doing this so you won’t be different’ (something Topanga presumably empathises with, having dropped the previous interests and clothes that singled her out from her peers). Cory replies: ‘I’m just trying to survive this.’ 

In an episode in which Turner comments on the differences between male and female readings of ‘Cyrano’ (rather dubiously referring to Topanga as ‘the estrogen section’) has Topanga prophesise that the boys in class don’t understand women and will spend ‘half your lives paying alimony’ and the other ‘confused’. 

(There’s also a cheesy, but apt joke in biology class in which Cory answers a Jeopardy style question: ‘What are the gonads?’ The teacher replies: ‘No, sorry, I was looking for what are the ovaries?’ Cory comments: ‘Yeah, I always mix those two up.’)

Everyone has an opinion on Cory’s love life – Alan, his father, still seems set on enforcing patriarchal gender norms, which can both encourage his son towards pursuing girls (telling Amy at one point: ‘Do you want grandchildren? Then don’t talk to your son like that.’) and discourage (when Cory asks ‘How do I avoid abuse and humiliation?’ Alan quips: ‘Don’t get married.’) 

Shawn encourages Cory to date both Topanga and other girls, but is very clear on this being motivated by popularity and seeing women as objects as much as interest in any one individual girl. When Cory dates Wendy, a girl who, like him, aspires to a long-term relationship, Shawn is horrified, urging him: ‘Oh, break up!’ Cory questions this: ‘Why? She’s cute, she likes me.’ (Again, Cory’s liking a girl seems a moot issue.) Shawn thinks this is ‘superficial’ and that a ‘week’s too long to be going out with the same person!’ as they wait for you, know your schedule, and spend vacations with you (all things he and Cory do together.) 

Ironically, the person who seems to have the least baggage with regards to Cory’s sexuality is space cadet Eric. While he recognises that Shawn appeals to girls in a way Cory doesn’t, leading to him urging Shawn to accept a double date (or as Cory puts it: ‘Shawn, don’t take this the wrong way, but your date looks an awful lot like my brother.’); he doesn’t favour Shawn or Topanga as a romantic option for Cory, and when Cory bemoans he won’t get a date as ‘Nobody’s talking to me but Shawn and Topanga’, Eric fliply suggests ‘Take Shawn.’


	4. season 3

**S3 You see this guy here – this is your best relationship. You guys listen to each other, and you really trust each other.**

S3 is the season in which the characterisations that continue through the rest of the show are firmly set.   
However, it was also a show in which there were shifts in both casting (Cory’s sister, Morgan, returns this year being played by a new actress; while Eric’s friend, Jason, who he was frequently paired up with for S1 and S2 plots, leaves) and attempts at winning a new audience (‘Friends’ was by now a hit, and Alex Desert was cast as Turner’s best friend and fellow teacher/lady killer, which Anthony Tyler Quinn revealed was an effort to shift the focus to older characters in order to compete with NBC.)   
The credits change for the third time, and feature only Cory, Shawn and Eric.

The season sets out it’s colours quickly (‘It’s a new year, a new me!’), with the premiere focusing on Cory’s attempts to ask out Topanga. Cory now dresses in the preppier style he adopts permanently, while Topanga has ‘left for the summer and come back a woman’, or as Shawn describes her ‘very hot’. 

Cory once again struggles to fulfil the ambition he’s set for himself, preferring fantasy to reality (‘I miss her even more in person’, ‘In my head this is so easy!’, ‘If I had to dream up the perfect woman, she wouldn’t even come close to (her).’) and directly comparing Shawn with Topanga for neither the first nor last time, noting he can ‘(talk) with you fine’ but that with Topanga he became ‘a sea monkey.’ 

Shawn prompts him repeatedly to find opportune moments to ask out Topanga, but Cory is overcome with nerves. (This story, like a lot from it’s time period relies hugely on Topanga, a character established as a leader and emotionally literate, as being frustratingly passive and helpless to date whomever claims her first.) 

Shawn asks out Topanga himself (it’s inexplicable why Topanga accepts, since in later episodes she states she has little respect for Shawn’s attitude to women, while Cory refers to Shawn as ‘despising’ Topanga), upsetting Cory, who storms out of Turner’s apartment (prompting Eli to comment: ‘Who’s gonna tell him he’s in the closet?’) 

(It’s a cute grace note that Shawn is already pouting in Turner’s apartment, knowing Cory will be cross with him.) 

Topanga gains a friend of her own, Trini, if only for guest appearances, played by a young Brittany Murphy, who agrees to accompany Cory to the movies (Cory begins here to have a slightly scornful attitude towards Shawn’s apparently higher sex drive, commenting to Trini: ‘Some people can’t even make it through the cartoons!’; an attitude that continues into S7 when Angela and Shawn live together: ‘Sluts!’) 

Cory once more uses Shawn as his impetus for pursuing girls, competing with him by putting his arm around Trini. The episode concludes with the reveal that the whole thing was a set up on Cory and Topanga’s behalf by Shawn and Trini. 

This plot thread is returned to regularly in S3. Two episodes later, Cory tells Topanga he loves her. While the wider focus is the archaic assumption that now ‘all’ girls will want to hear this too, and want to spend time with guys doing activities they enjoy, heaven forfend (Boy Meets World is super lazy with sexist tropes, and unfortunately doesn’t really improve on this matter. From Alan and Amy’s cliched arguments about garbage disposal anniversary gifts, to Turner’s dating a woman who, after three weeks wants to discuss marriage, it goes on…) and Topanga’s unexpectedly unenthused reaction; it does provoke some interesting characterisations from all three students. 

Cory, in a turnaround from the first two seasons, seems enthused and actually feeling emotions for Topanga (albeit beginning to view them as a single unit, revealed when Shawn asks him for a list of activities he likes, and he suggests Topanga-specific ones: ‘I just want her to like my list!’) whereas Shawn has apparently swerved from ‘falling in love five times a day’ to some serious reddit style arguments, as he explains that relationships are a power struggle, admitting feelings is revealing vulnerability and that women are ‘after us’. (TBH, this perspective makes sense for Shawn’s character, who has mainly male role models and struggles to trust women; it’s just a toss-up sometimes as to whether writers use this trait to comment on Shawn’s issues, or to reinforce him as correct.)

It's hopeful Topanga, too, will be explored, but unfortunately her rejection of Cory here comes off more as a plot device, and more about establishing the ‘new’ canon (that Cory and Topanga have been in love since they were six); and the main focus is Cory and Shawn’s delightful homoerotic shenanigans, including Cory hitting Shawn in the butt with a dart (!), Shawn urging Cory to roleplay with himself playing Topanga (‘Big hands!’), Shawn gifting flowers to a random jock and Cory picturing Topanga in Shawn’s clothes. Cory reveals to Topanga (who is apparently now a robot, given lines like ‘That’s what "I love you" means?’) that he knows he loves her as he can talk to her, make her laugh, and wants to take care of her; once again a non-gender specific list suiting his relationship with Shawn as much as with Topanga.

The relationship between the three and the strain it provokes is explored further in ‘This Little Piggy’, in which Shawn and Topanga (resplendent this episode in a lesbariffic boiler suit) disagree over Shawn’s ability to care for a baby pig. 

The pig, Little Cory (‘Hey, it’s the first name that popped into my head!’) is adopted by Shawn from his old trailer park. While Turner and Cory recognise swiftly that after Shawn’s traumatic past, he ‘needs the pig more than the pig needs him’, Topanga believes the pig belongs somewhere more spacious; and isn’t shy about telling Shawn what to do: ‘Someone should!’ 

Cory is torn between the two, recognising the care Shawn gives the animal, but also recognising the logic of Topanga’s argument, and tries flattering both (‘You look great, Topanga, did I mention that?’ ‘Cory, would you tell Topanga to back off?’ ‘Shawn, you don’t look so bad yourself.’) Topanga however, insists Cory choose a side, and he opts for her. 

The next day, Cory urgently calls Shawn. His father emphasises, agreeing that a ‘guy’ agrees with his girlfriend, lest she ‘(get) mad’, and Amy points out: ‘Well, now Shawn’s mad.’

At school the next day, Shawn explains that the pig was abandoned (as he was by his parents), and Cory realises how personal the issue is to Shawn. Shawn softens, saying ‘You took your girlfriend’s side. I’d have probably done the same thing.’ (Foreshadowing of a S4 episode in which he does indeed choose a girlfriend over Cory.)

Cory invites Topanga over to show off Shawn’s pig ‘parenting’, however, Topanga reveals she’s called Animal Control to find Little Cory a good home. At this, the boys switch positions, as Shawn is hurt; and Cory angered, telling Topanga that forcing him to choose wasn’t right, and neither was reporting the pig. 

(Hilariously, Cory bets that if he knows Topanga, she won’t have called Animal Control at all, showing that he’s perhaps romanticised his ‘dream woman’ at little.) 

Turner rescues the situation with Topanga’s help, and the pig is reclaimed, with Topanga apologising and she and Shawn making steps towards an individual friendship (‘I’ve known you as long as I’ve known Cory…you’re my friend, too.’) 

Shawn continues to rebel, as he and Turner simultaneously struggle to adjust to sharing space, and lie to each other in order to have privacy for dates. Shawn, too, seems to focus on fantasy over reality (upon a girl agreeing to a date, he says ‘I wish I could be a fly on that wall!’) but upon realising he’s staying at the Matthews for the weekend, where curfews are enforced; he tries to persuade Turner to stay behind. (Cory recommends his usual charm technique: ‘Tell him he looks good!’) 

Eric is unimpressed by Shawn’s presence (‘Hunter, you’re staying the weekend. That’s great, you guys don’t spend enough time together. Why don’t you just wear one big shirt?’) 

Cory goes to efforts to manipulate his parents into staying out late (to which Shawn offers to ‘dedicate this date to you, man’) but is disappointed when Shawn sneaks out to extend his date (‘One night when you stay here, could you, actually, I don’t know, stay here?’)

These efforts of Cory’s continue as Shawn decides to run away and travel the world, a habit begun in S1 with his idea to leave town in ‘The Fugitive’ and which continues all the way to S6 with ‘Road Trip’. Shawn is not slow to use a little emotional blackmail on Cory from time to time, asking ‘Are you really my friend?’   
Cory retorts ‘You know I am.’   
Shawn replies: ‘Then you’ll let me go.’   
However, Turner intervenes, thanks to Cory’s tip off (‘Can’t believe he does this to me. Over and over and over again. Oh, who am I kidding? I know what I gotta do!’)   
The end resolves with Cory standing up for himself ‘Oh, you’re not angry? Well, I’m not apologising. I know I did the right thing.’ He has apparently been worrying about this issue, exclaiming ‘I’ve been doing a lot of reading, and I can no longer be responsible for your actions!’ However, the co-dependency is still strong with the pair, and when Shawn smiles ‘I got it. I guess I missed a biology test this morning?’ Cory says adoringly: ‘Don’t worry, I took it for ya.’ 

Their positions reverse in ‘Hometown Hero’, in which Cory receives acclaim for his heroics in stopping a fire, hiding that it was he and Shawn who accidentally started it. We see here that Cory still has the slight inferiority complex from S2 (‘People still call me Eric’s brother, Shawn’s friend’) but also that Shawn keeps Cory on an equally high pedestal (‘I don’t want to go back to being same old Cory Matthews.’ ‘What was wrong with him?’) and is swift to take responsibility when he feels he’s influenced Cory for the worst: ‘I’m the one who told you to ride this whole thing.’

Cory and Topanga’s relationship appears to be threatened by another girl’s pursuit of Cory in ‘The Last Temptation of Cory’, however, the episode’s erasure of any perspective for Topanga, who’s conveniently out sick for most of it; the other girl, Missy (who it's suggested likes Cory because...girls are attracted to guys in relationships); and Cory who’s temptation seems tempered with fear, leaves the episode as fairly forgettable (although it does have a Trini appearance!); apart from how an episode about Cory and Topanga ends up once again, mainly focusing on Cory and Shawn, as the students mistake Cory’s: ‘Drop dead, we’re in love!’ about himself and Topanga for a reference to himself and Shawn. 

‘City Slackers’, while on the face of it an episode in which Shawn and Feeny learn to get along better, is actually kinda fascinating as an insight into Cory and Shawn’s relationship, which is paralleled with that of Feeny and his late wife, Lillian.

Cory and Shawn sneak away to a ‘romantic’ cabin, which Shawn tempts Cory by, mentioning ‘two bus tickets to paradise’ and ‘snow bunnies’ (despite Cory dating Topanga) and then the prospect of it being ‘empty’. 

Cory reveals his protestations are somewhat habit (‘Oh, you know I’m going’) and they sneak off ‘to have a good time’. 

Feeny arrives unexpectedly, and it’s revealed from Shawn reading his diary that they share certain priorities. Feeny details an occasion in which he skipped class to be with his wife, and how they ‘never make it to the slopes. No regrets.’ He then describes how his wife gave him a wristwatch that always reminded him of her. 

Likewise, Cory and Shawn never make it to the slopes, with ‘no regrets’; and what does Shawn give Cory the following year (despite being previously described as not exchanging gifts) but an engraved wristwatch. 

In ‘The Grass is Always Greener’ a mini-arc begins, in which Cory and Topanga split. 

This seems in some ways a meta-commentary on the writing of their relationship as almost purposefully unexciting (‘You doubled with your folk again?’) and ever-present (‘How long we been married now, 40 or 50 years?’) 

Cory denies there’s anything wrong, claiming he’s the issue. To up his confidence, Shawn invites him to a party and loans him a jacket. Wearing it, he’s mistaken for Shawn, which Shawn encourages. Cory notes ‘There’s something exciting about being you’, and that it’s not just the girls but ‘the way I’m feeling tonight, not knowing what’s gonna happen.’ 

Shawn for his part, mostly spends the party alone, and when Cory notes it’s ‘so unlike you’ not to pursue girls, he merely replies: ‘I’m not Shawn tonight, you are.’ 

The episode resolves when it’s revealed that Topanga, too, is incognito at the party (for her part, pretending to be French), which Cory lectures her about until his own perfidy is revealed. They conclude that they’re in a rut, and haven’t had fun in a long time. Topanga’s worried they’re breaking up, as that would ruin their friendship; but doesn’t want to ‘end up hating each other’ by ‘wait(ing) too long to break up.’   
This perfectly reasonable decision by a pair of 14-15 year olds is then undercut by both rushing back separately to regret their decision (but missing the other) and a sad musical montage of their relationship. 

An in-between episode features Cory and Shawn in cheerleading uniforms (Eric and Topanga make a pretty witty pair-up, commenting: ‘They must starve themselves! No wonder I never made the squad!’) talking about how the ‘buns of steels videos must have paid off’ and how there’s something to be said for the ‘freedom’ of skirts.

The Cory and Topanga split is returned to, when Shawn is horrified that Cory still speaks to Topanga, nearly in tears (‘I think I lost you, man!’) Cory agrees to ‘a little double date action’ (‘This is the Cory I’ve always hoped for!’) and Shawn asks out the nearest girls. 

However, the date is unsuccessful, with Cory reluctant to move on. Shawn insists he’s doing this for Cory’s own good, however, Cory’s date is inexplicably impressed by his not kissing her. (There’s a cute running joke where Shawn just by looking at Cory can tell what’s happened, as it’s apparently written all over his ‘unkissed face’.) 

At Chubbies, however, Cory and Shawn discover Topanga kissing a date of her own. Cory wonders if he’s dreaming (‘Pinch me. Not on the butt!’ ‘Sorry, it’s just…right there.’) but Shawn refuses to let him confront Topanga and embarrass himself, instead bodily lifting Cory out of the restaurant. 

They enter the apartment with difficulty (‘it’s not easy to hold a guy and work a lock!’) and argue. Shawn defends Topanga, saying she’s done ‘exactly what she’s supposed to’ and moved on, just as Cory will; but Cory exits, to kiss Melissa. 

The two both feel nothing; but Shawn concludes that while Melissa may not be the one, ‘you did a good thing kissing another girl’, if only since it will help when Cory sees Topanga with another guy. However, Cory instead confronts Topanga and her date, Nick, causing a tearful Shawn to exit: ‘Now I’ve lost him again.’

Cory sulks and decides he won’t be friends with Topanga, and although we’re obviously supposed to conclude he and Topanga are MFEO, it does seem as if his bitterness is at least in part due to the double standard, lampshaded in his line: ‘I’m supposed to see other people, you’re supposed to wait until you die.’ The episode ends on him promising to be there for her.

The next episode switches focus back to Shawn, who’s dating a ‘nice girl’ Dana Pruitt (guest star Larissa Oleynik aka Alex Mack, 90s kids.) He asks when he can see her next, but rejects her ideas of assisting the blood drive, or having a picnic; and says they should kiss instead. Dana says she’s ‘heard’ Shawn likes to kiss a lot, and says perhaps a second date isn’t a good idea. Shawn is shocked to be rejected.

The next day, Cory is hurt that he wasn’t told, and disturbed, as ‘a nice girl like that can ruin your reputation’. 

Shawn is strangely reluctant to discuss Dana (as opposed to his usual ‘stories and the little pictures you draw.’) Cory suggests that this is reluctance is because Shawn likes Dana, however Shawn is also clearly driven in part by ego (‘I like girls. And so far, they all like me.’) 

However, Dana would rather date another guy. Cory guesses this will be a ‘pumped up pretty boy jock’, but Dana’s intended is Cory himself. Cory isn’t sure, not wanting to step on any toes, but Shawn says ‘No, this could be good for you’, and instead puts his arm around two girls (you know they’re not Nice Girls because like Shawn, they wear leather jackets *eye roll*) as he’s ‘not gonna be alone for long.’

Shawn waits for Cory to return from his date, demanding ‘You come waltzing in here after nine and all I get is a hello?’   
Cory returns: ‘Hello…sailor?’   
Shawn confesses to being jealous of Cory dating Dana, and Cory insists he pursue her further. 

The next day, Shawn claims he could talk to Dana all day. Dana, fairly reasonably asks: ‘What would we talk about?’ (Presumably about how Shawn wants her now he can’t have her?) Shawn presses her on her date with Cory, wondering why she kissed him on the first date, but not Cory. Dana tactfully explains that Cory’s ‘the type of guy who could turn into a boyfriend’, while Shawn has a ‘reputation’.   
Shawn protests to Cory at lunch that he really liked her, but Cory’s surprised as she seems more the ‘kinda girl who’d end up with me’ (an oddly passive wording, but one that's completely on brand for Cory.) 

The episode heads where it’s been crashingly obvious it was going to all along, and Cory and Topanga smugly explain that there are camps of girls, ‘nice’ and ‘sexy, hot, flashy’ or as Topanga deems them ‘fast’ (far cry from ultra!feminist Topanga in S1, may she rest in peace.)   
Topanga explains she wouldn’t date Shawn (even though she already did at the beginning of this very season!) and somewhere in the rank misogyny, makes the fair point that Shawn doesn’t understand women, or even want to, and sees them as mere objects. The audience ‘aww’, but Shawn agrees tacitly (Topanga says girls who desire a long-term relationship fear getting hurt, as Shawn ‘gets bored’ to which Shawn, shocked, realises: ‘They know!’)

Shawn brings up JFK in class, suggesting his constant infidelities didn’t alter his leadership, although Dana disagrees (Face, JFK!)   
Cory and Shawn return to Turner’s apartment, Cory urging Shawn not to listen to Topanga. There’s a WTF line, when he adds: ‘I mean, if I listened to everything Topanga said…’ and Shawn completes the sentence: ‘You guys would still be together’, which seems to be radically redefining canon from only one episode ago.

Turner presents a queer reading of the entire episode up until this point, and when Shawn dolefully decides he belongs with ‘fast, flashy girls’, Turner suggests: ‘You know Shawn, it seems to me the people you care most about in the world are not very fast or flashy. You see this guy here – this is your best relationship. You guys listen to each other, and you really trust each other. And that’s what girls are looking for.’ 

Even overlooking this direct comparison of Shawn's feelings for Cory to his feelings for Dana; it seems significant that Dana resembles Cory in both her personality (at this point in the season, the show began to reboot Cory slightly - whether to provide a contrast to Shawn, or because he began to ape Topanga's interests - and he's portrayed as more interested in schoolwork and efforts such as charity fashion shows. This is somewhat reversed by the college era, however, by this point, Shawn's the one who's then shown as interested in academics such as philosophy, poetry and photography. Writers gonna change their minds, I guess!) and even down to costuming - Dana's often shown wearing sweater vests, a key staple in Cory's wardrobe. 

The episode shows a very early hint of a dynamic that continues long into adulthood, as Cory blames Dana solely for her reluctance to engage with Shawn (similarly, he still blames Angela as an adult for her break-up with Shawn fifteen years prior; and Shawn takes the same tack, viewing Topanga as unforgiving and withholding when she and Cory disagree), claiming 'some girl played yoyo with his feelings', and argues against taking Shawn on his reputation (unfortunately the reversal of this argument with regards to 'fast, flashy' girls never occurs to anyone.)

Shawn recalls that Dana likes picnics, realising she's the only girl he's ever 'listened to' before, and prepares her one; asking her for a chance to date. She says she's afraid, and he confesses to feeling the same, saying 'I’ve never felt (this) way about a girl before, and it scares me.' They agree to try, and seal this with a handshake, as 'what's the rush?' (This episode is repeated almost full whack in S5 with Angela in the Dana role, when Dana returns; but for this season, she makes another appearance in the next episode as happily dating Shawn, before disappearing inexplicably for two years.)

Cory and Shawn have their first physical fight in 'The Pink Flamingo Kid'. 

Cory begins an interest in becoming a cameraman (interests are sort of intermittently dealt with on Boy Meets World, like a lot of sitcoms. Cory seems interested in journalism between seasons 3 and 5; but eventually becomes a teacher; while Shawn develops a somewhat sudden interest in writing in S6, influenced by Rider Strong's real life hobby.) However, when he films one of Shawn's family committing a crime, there's a conflict of interests between the two. 

(This episode is sort of lazy in terms of the family member, Eddy, who refers to himself as Shawn's brother, and is never mentioned before or afterwards; but this isn't uncommon with Shawn's family - S5 introduces his half-brother, Jack, while S1 has reference to a sister, Stacy. Topanga, too, has a sister from S1 who appears to be forgotten afterwards.) 

Shawn requests the tape, but refuses to tell Cory why. Cory in his turn insists he'll submit it for a journalism competition. Shawn rips up the tape, saying as it's about his family 'I can do whatever what I want.'   
Cory begins another long-running habit here, by referring to Shawn by his last name when he's angry, saying 'That's the last time I do you a favour, Hunter.' 

The next day, Cory asks for an explanation. Shawn apologises, but refuses to discuss the matter further, saying that he was doing Cory a favour. 

Cory introduces an interesting note here, suggesting Shawn is jealous of him 'finally finding something I'm good at'. (As Cory ages, he seems to become even more fixated on external validation in the eyes of others, and he expresses envy over both Shawn and Topanga exceeding him, particularly when it comes to issues such as employment, and can become smug about traditional success markers like marriage.) 

This fires up Shawn, who tells Cory to 'shut up and let go of me right now'.   
Cory, hurt, asks 'Why are you acting like I did something to you?'   
They shove each other, and Cory seems almost excited to test their physical strengths, saying 'Let's see what you've got, Hunter.'  
Shawn says 'You don't want to do this', but Cory confirms: 'Yeah, I do', and they begin to fight (much in the 90s Saved By The Bell-esque 'Hug each other to death'. If it it interests anyone, Cory appears to be on top and slightly winning, lol.)   
A shocked Eli, Turner and Feeney intervene ('Did you guys know you were fighting each other?!') and Shawn, hilariously, throws his ability to flip his hair in Cory's face, while Cory repeats his theory: 'I'm good with a camera, and this guy's jealous.' 

Shawn claims not to care, but warns Cory from investigating the trailer park again, as the guys who hang out there are 'hardcore' and Cory could 'get hurt'. Cory ignores this, but when he's surrounded at the park, Shawn springs to his rescue (dramatically jumping over a trailer!)  
Shawn tells Eddy that if he touches Cory, he'll have Shawn to deal with, going so far as to threaten calling the police (of whom Shawn is historically...not fond.)  
Eddy reveals to Cory that he and Shawn are family, and after he exits, Cory is shocked: 'What else have you been hiding? A wife? You got kids?'   
Shawn apologises, explaining it didn't 'seem worth' talking about. Cory swiftly recognises that Shawn was protecting his family, and offers to destroy the tape.   
Shawn says that 'Mr Williams was right, you are a pretty good reporter', and tells Cory to 'go win'.   
Cory asks 'What about protecting your family?' but Shawn realises: 'I just did. Eddy's only blood. You're my real family.' 

Another conflict arises swiftly when kids vandalise Mr Feeny’s home.   
Shawn defends them, saying that Feeny’s been unfair with his recent exam scheduling, and that Cory himself suggested the students stand up to him. Cory argues that Shawn knew what was being planned, making him partially responsible. (This episode is interesting, as it’s often Cory who depends on meeting social norms, but here we see Shawn’s own weakness in this area. He may not care about individuals’ opinions as much as he does Cory’s, but he’s not immune to the desire to be seen as cool.)   
Cory, Shawn and Topanga stand up to the vandals, with Shawn recognising that his lack of participation is due in part to Feeny’s influence: ‘You see bolt-cutters (in my hand)? That’s what he’s done for me.’

The episode ‘I Was A Teenage Spy’ is chockfull of Cory/Shawn subtext, so much so I can’t improve on an already posted recap by [wistful-fever](http://wistful-fever.livejournal.com/108133.html). Please check it out!

In episode 20, ‘I Never Sang for My Legal Guardian’, Shawn grows weary of lacking any structure in his life, saying he wants his next move to be his last. Turner, understandably, has his own life and has been reluctant to commit to sign papers committing him to being Shawn’s legal guardian; however Shawn, just as understandably, is tired of being second to adults’ priorities and feeling like a guest everywhere that he lives. He decides to live home alone at the trailer park, where he’ll be surrounded by family.   
Cory and Topanga decide to track down Shawn’s father, Chet. Chet believes Shawn’s better off with Turner, especially as he has his ‘little girlfriend’ (who reminds Chet of Shawn’s mom, a rather disturbingly Freudian reveal. Chet also reveals that like Cory and Topanga; he and Virna married in their teens) However, Cory tells him, with due respect, that if he loves Shawn, he’ll return.   
Chet does, and Shawn thanks Cory, saying ‘You know what I’ve wanted to do for a long time, Cor? Invite you to my house for dinner.’  
Cory asks: ‘Who’s cooking?’ and Shawn replies: ‘You are.’

The penultimate episode in the season resolves the Cory/Topanga split. Cory has been dating different girls every night, and decides he misses Topanga, stating in an over compensatory rant: ‘I thought we could be friends, like you and I are. But when I see Topanga, I wanna kiss her, hold her, hug her. When I see you I have no interest in these things.’   
Topanga wins a trip to Disney World in an essay contest, but Ronny ‘Lips’ Waterman is attending; so Cory and Shawn decide to crash.   
On the way, there’s many a cliched misunderstanding. Cory decides to go home, expecting Shawn to argue with him (a manipulation tactic Topanga herself adopts in S5 when the two are once more on a break), but Shawn claims to think Topanga and Ronny make a cute couple,’ but not as cute’ as Cory and Topanga.   
There’s a revealing insight into Topanga, when she exclaims to Ronny that if she let(s) him kiss her, ‘then what? Then you leave because you got your prize’, which perhaps lends a little characterisation to her swerve into a far more traditional standpoint (waiting until marriage for sex, etc.) from her more unique S1 views. She states that she hates being chased, however apparently Cory’s ‘not giving up’ impresses her, and the two reunite. 

The season ends with Cory panicking, as Topanga heads off for a summer at an all-girl camp (lesbian!Topanga headcanon: established), while Chet is taking Shawn on a road trip and he makes Shawn and Topanga nervous by hugging and rocking them; before Eric suggests they take a brotherly road trip of their own.


	5. season 4

**S4 Well, Shawn, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but... you’re kind of a babe.**

S4 introduces yet another different credits sequence, with Cory, Shawn, Topanga and Eric shown driving around in a convertible. This season begins a focus on Cory, Shawn and Topanga as a trio, as opposed to separate plotlines involving Cory and Topanga; and Shawn and the various girls he dates.

The first episode features Cory and Eric’s return from their road trip; while Shawn and Topanga take a minimal role, bickering over who Cory will most look forward to seeing. Shawn states Cory won’t ‘even (know Topanga) exist(s)’ and that he and Shawn have so much catching up to do, that he ‘is not gonna have time for you.’ Cory solves the issue, ducking Shawn’s arms to make out with Topanga. Shawn grimaces, asking ‘Good summer?’ Cory extricates himself briefly: ‘Great.’ ‘Lots of stories?’ ‘Lotta stories.’ ‘You miss me?’ ‘I missed ya.’ ‘Still best friends?’ ‘The best there ever were.’ ‘Good. Ya see?’ Shawn flicks Topanga, and the episode finishes on his complaint: ‘Hey, I’m talking to you!’

The second is a well-known episode people remember as being The One Where Topanga Cuts Her Hair. Cory begins to feel insecure about his looks, feeling like ‘between (Shawn) and Eric, I feel like I’m surrounded by people with perfect hair.’ He visualises a yearbook in which Shawn and Topanga are stars and his photo wears an Elephant Man style bag, with his caption: ‘I am a human being.’   
Topanga argues that Cory goes out with her because of who she is inside, but when the guys laugh this off, she puts her money where her mouth is, and cuts off a length of her long hair. However, getting a new haircut reveals Topanga to look even better.   
Shawn is attracted to her himself (‘She’s my best friend’s girl…oh, the heck with it, marry me!’) and suggest a triangle (‘I think the three of us could be very happy together’) and while he teases Cory initially (‘The first thing she’s gonna do is dump you and…hang out with other unbelievably good-looking people…It’s what we do.’) when he believes that Topanga is becoming too focused on her looks, he’s quick to confront her.   
Shawn appears in the women’s room, telling Topanga that he’s long admired her confidence, that he can’t remember her ever looking in a mirror, and that she isn’t behaving like the Topanga he knows. He also tells her that she and Cory are his ‘two best friends in the world’ but that ‘one of them, who in my opinion, is a good looking guy, is going through a shaky time’. The ending resolves with Cory getting a haircut at the same place Topanga went to, but both she and Shawn are relieved when he looks exactly the same afterwards.

An episode toys with the idea of Cory’s family struggling for money, and Shawn helps teach Cory how to be poor. With a prompting gesture from Shawn, Cory explains to Topanga: ‘Well, Shawn says I have to provide for myself.’ Cory gives in and eats a burger (this episode had a little meta joke in that Rider Strong was a vegetarian, hence his line of ‘You disgust me, man’ when Cory says ‘I’m eating meat!’) and Shawn returns: ‘My dear, sweet Cory. There’s no shame. There’s two types of people in the world – there’s people like you who always manage to get by, and people like me, who are lucky enough to have people like you in their lives.’

Shawn’s mother, Virna, returns. Similarly to ‘I Never Sang for My Legal Guardian’, Cory takes the impetus in reaching out to her and persuading her to come home (‘Go tell Shawn I love him, and you give him a big kiss right on the lips from me.’ ‘I’ll definitely do some version of that!’)

Meanwhile, Cory helps Topanga babysit. Initially, she plans to do so alone, leaving Cory and Shawn to a guys night out (‘All right, I’m into that. The boys!’) But when Shawn hears Topanga will be babysitting, he insists Cory attend: ‘There’s just you and your girlfriend in a stranger’s house, no interruptions, alone. On a couch.’  
Cory catches on: ‘Cory Matthews, a parent’s worst nightmare – lock up your daughters, the hormones will be a-flying tonight!’ before pausing. ‘You believe me.’  
Shawn smiles: ‘No. But you’re very sweet.’

Shawn’s father, Chet, gets a steady job, working as a janitor at John Adams school. While Shawn is initially embarrassed, he learns to have pride in his father. This episode from a Cory/Shawn perspective is mostly endearing in the small intimacies (Shawn refers to walking to school with Cory as ‘Cory’s coming by to pick me up’; Cory physically holds Shawn back from fighting) but also in that both Cory and Shawn are immature at the show’s beginning, making jokes and dropping trash (‘Well, that’s what it is to be a guy, honey.’) However, with almost no discussion about the issue, as soon as Chet’s employed at the school, Cory begins to recognise the consequence of his actions and take responsibility for himself: ‘I just…think that when you make a mess, somebody has to clear it up, and I don’t want anyone to clean it up.’

The next episode is Eric-centric, with Cory having a small subplot of an operation to remove his tonsils. Shawn scares him with conspiracy theories, and Amy and Topanga, having failed to persuade him to calm Cory, order him home (‘You know, I could take you, Topanga!’) Shawn visits in hospital, calling Cory ‘baby’, bringing him comics and at one point dressing up as a surgeon.

‘Dangerous Secret’ technically qualifies as a Very Special Episode, tackling child abuse, with a voiceover at the end urging watchers to seek assistance. However, it’s a pretty accomplished one, with perhaps a stronger plot than later episodes covering issues such as teenage drinking, etc.  
The episode begins with a slightly panicked Cory visiting Shawn, who’s off school sick, with his folks ‘out of town’. He brings Shawn cough syrup, aspirin, vapo-rub and even a bouquet of flowers.   
He’s embarrassed, however, when a girl leaves Shawn’s trailer, saying ‘…You could have just told me the truth. We’ve always told each other everything…Shawn, you and a girl spent the night together. Without me.’   
Shawn says there was nothing to tell. Cory feels as if he’s falling behind (‘This is about where you are and where I’m not.’) and thinks it’s time to take things to the ‘next step…So what is the next step?’ to which Shawn smiles gently.  
Cory tells Topanga about Shawn’s visit, clumsily suggesting they have sex (‘I just think we’re old enough, like Shawn. …And he hardly knows her.’) Topanga, naturally, isn’t overwhelmingly aroused at the idea of having sex to keep up with Shawn, and Cory doesn’t make any efforts to reassure her on this point.  
Shawn discovers Cory mentioned the visit to Topanga, and is furious, leaving Cory 0 for 2. (Alan and Amy even ask: ‘It’s Friday night, aren’t you going out with Topanga?’ ‘How about Shawn?’)  
Eric gives Cory a pep talk about sex (that somehow involves his own first time: ‘Remember Mitchell Davis?’) urging him not to rush into anything.  
Shawn enters Cory’s room (via his tradition of climbing in through the window), anger dissipated (‘Yeah, friends for life, you know that.’) He asks if Claire can stay at Cory’s, to Cory’s jealous: ‘Oh, just throw it in my face!’ Shawn insists if he could tell Cory anything, he would; but Cory is resolute: ‘Shawn, I think you know that you can always trust me, with anything.’  
Shawn explains that he and Claire aren’t a couple, and that Claire’s father is hitting her. Unlike middle-class Cory, he’s cynical that the police will listen, especially as Claire’s father is a well-known figure in the community.  
Cory agrees, however, the abuse continues when Claire returns home. Shawn swears to protect Claire, and Cory argues that ‘you’ve been wrong on this every time’ and that Shawn can’t promise to protect Claire. The story resolves with Shawn agreeing to go to the police, and Cory telling him that now he really is taking care of Claire.

Shawn falls asleep in class (‘I don’t know where I am!’ ‘Sit, darling, have a nap.’) Meanwhile, Cory has a conflict as Topanga’s sweet sixteen party is on the same night as Frankie’s father’s wrestling match.   
(It is extremely hard at this point in the show to take Cory and Topanga seriously as a couple when plots involving her are so thin, particularly when we’re presented with it as canon that Cory values an acquaintance’s event on par with his girlfriend’s own birthday. They pay the conceit some lip service with the explanation that Cory ‘want(s) everyone to love (him)’, and it’s couched in a little garden variety sexism about women being unforgiving, but really…)   
This episode continues the idea, introduced in S3, that Cory/Topanga are in part reliant on Shawn to ‘translate’ between them: here Shawn’s smiling, recognising ‘Topanga’s gonna kill you, man’, winning a bet between him and Cory over her reaction.  
Topanga introduces the meagrest of characterisation crumbs, mentioning that her parents are her role models, and danced together at her mother’s sweet sixteen (this is actually a plot thread that returns all the way into S7, however, it’s somewhat weakened by the fact that Topanga’s parents appear as different actors and with different character names in each episode) and therefore, she and Cory have to, also.   
Cory and Shawn reinact the classic farce of swapping costumes (in this case wrestling masks and promotional t-shirts versus formal wear for Topanga’s party) and spending a short amount of time at each event. Topanga finds out, as the fight’s televised (although Cory tries for a mini gaslight, pointing to the TV: ‘What, you believe that?’) and asks how Cory could do this, knowing how important the party was to her.   
Cory apologies, referencing the Flintstones episode in which Fred has to be in two places at once, something he and Shawn have been joking about all night. Topanga recognises the episode, to which Cory responds: ‘And you wonder why I love this girl.’ (Idk…I guess, he thinks girls don’t know cartoons? I’m lost, honestly.)   
The end resolves by Shawn and Frankie organising for Cory and Topanga to dance in the wrestling ring under a spotlight, while the boys eat popcorn and muse on how the two are ‘poetry in motion’ and are ‘gonna go the distance.’

There’s a holiday episode in ‘Turkey Day’ in which Cory and Shawn form a team (Topanga’s notable by her absence – while she appears in the episode, she’s neither on the boys team nor invited to Thanksgiving dinner), winning a turkey. They decide to have the first Hunter-Matthews thanksgiving dinner, sharing their meal; but are nervous, as their families barely know each other.   
The day falls apart, due to the class differences and antagonistic attitudes on the elder Hunters and Matthews parts, and the younger group exit to eat outside. The elders approach quietly, witnessing their toasts and table discussions (Shawn theorises that ‘our ignorance may be working for us’, as they’ve been unaware of the disparity in their lifestyles, and if they had been, might not have been friends; and when asked for what he’s thankful for, instantly offers: ‘I’m thankful you’re my friend.’ Cory for his part, is grateful that his parents taught him to like people for who they are, even if they weren’t lucky enough to be raised that way themselves; and the parents guiltily join them, with Chet and Alan chivalrously fetching chairs for Amy and Virna respectively.

A notorious episode for Cory/Shawn fans, in ‘An Affair to Forget’, Shawn dates a girl, Jennifer (played by future Terminator Kristen Loken) who insists he ‘dump’ Cory.   
This episode is pretty classic (it even features the lesser spotted Gay!Topanga, as she decides: ‘Aw, heck, I’d go out with (Jennifer)’.) The split leads to the pair wistfully calling each other and meeting in secret (‘I gotta see you!...You’re going to let her stand in the way of what we had? Just once, then I’ll step aside forever.’)   
They’re paralleled with Cory/Topanga in a scene in which they hang up the phone, then quickly pick up to see if the other is on the line; mirroring Cory and Topanga separately returning to see if the other has changed their mind about a S3 breakup.  
The two meet, and Shawn is now the one who seems grim about the spectre of encroaching heterosexuality that Cory seemed to dread so in S1 and 2, saying we ‘both knew this would happen eventually…Meeting girls…less time for best friends to spend time together. It’s only natural…’ They flirt, giggling and blushing, before considering running away to either Paris or ‘some place no woman would ever look.’ Cory says that all they have left is sneaking moments together, which Shawn considers ‘no life!’ Jennifer interrupts, offers to sit behind Shawn in class and rub his shoulders, to which Cory murmurs to himself: ‘I used to sit behind him…’  
Cory gets Shawn to agree to dinner at his house, to which Alan and Amy assume he’s cooking for Topanga (‘You have no idea how much he loves you…it’s so adorable, he’s been (cooking) all afternoon.’) Topanga, rather sweetly, even bakes a pie.  
However, Shawn cancels - apparently Jennifer found the box of cinnabun receipts he’s been keeping and ‘couldn’t burn’ as they reminded him of Cory.   
Topanga tells Cory he’s a ‘wreck’, and Cory exclaims that Shawn doesn’t need him anymore, now he has Jennifer. Topanga says that she understands that a best friend can’t be replaced, and that Shawn deserves a girl who accepts his best friend. She organises a rendezvous for the boys at a pool club, offering to wait outside: ‘I know you two don’t get to see each other that often anymore.’   
Shawn and Cory agree she’s ‘some girlfriend’ and ‘shoot some stick’. Jennifer walks in, catching them in a compromising position, Shawn affectionately wiping chalk off Cory’s face; and offers Shawn an ultimatum of ‘him or me’, kissing him. Shawn turns to Cory: ‘Ok, what’ve you got?’ and Cory shrugs: ‘I can’t top that.’ (Not with that kind of defeatist attitude, Matthews!)  
However, Shawn’s moved enough to decide, standing next to Cory and putting his arm around him, saying that he’s no longer bothered by her threat, as ‘this time I’m getting more than I’m losing’. Jennifer exits: ‘I hope you’ll be…very happy together.’

A second holiday episode with ‘Easy Street’, and one with a deceptively comedy A-plot (Cory and Shawn join the mob!) but a surprisingly tender resolution. Cory and Shawn are concentrating their efforts on finding a job, leaving their class efforts reduced to mutual snoring; as Topanga reads ‘The Road Not Taken.’ Shawn, in particular, is excited to finally be able to afford nice presents for his friends and family (at this, he raises his eyebrows at Cory, who nods happily.) However, his job at the docks is uncomfortable compared to Cory’s cushy role as a waiter (causing Cory to offer him: ‘Sit darling, I’ll make you some cocoa’, and for Shawn to decide: ‘If I go, you go!’, touching his hands to his cold face; then placing his hands on Cory’s face.)   
When Shawn visits Cory at work, it becomes clear to both of them that the old Italian owners (Soupy Sales and Scuttle from the Little Mermaid, aka Buddy Hackett) are in fact using the restaurant as a front for the mob. Cory quits immediately, and Shawn reassures the men that Cory’s no threat to their secret. Impressed by his loyalty and tact, they hire Shawn instead.  
While Shawn shows a flair for the work, picking up Italian as swiftly as he does French and Dutch, Cory worries it will change him, and both are aware of the danger of the job (when a car backfires, they hit the floor instinctively: ‘Why are we on the ground?’ ‘…Cause it’s fun, and we do everything together.’)  
On Christmas Eve’s eve, Shawn cheerfully visits Cory with a gift: ‘I just bought you the best present I ever paid money for, and I want to see your face light up like a happy little elf, so light up, light up little elf!’ Cory opens the gift, a watch engraved with ‘To my best friend, Cory,’ and quietly thanks Shawn, but tells him he can’t accept the watch because of where the money came from. Shawn looks stricken, and Cory begs him to quit, offering him the money Cory made working there. Shawn refuses, saying Cory should spend it on ‘Topanga and your family’ (this seasons begins the semi-trend of Shawn being the one to remind Cory of how he should prioritise Topanga over both his own desires and Shawn’s, one that ramps up hugely post-Cory and Topanga’s wedding.) Shawn moves to leave, and Cory asks if he’ll still turn up at the Matthews on Christmas Eve. Shawn affirms that’s a tradition he’d never miss; and Cory thanks him for the watch: ‘I appreciate it. Not for how much it cost, but for who it came from.’  
Shawn’s involvement with the restaurant deepens, and on Christmas Eve, he’s out delivering a box for the mob. Cory finds him, telling him forcefully that he’s working much too hard, ‘we’re having Christmas Eve at my house, nothing you’re doing could be as important, so come on. Let’s go.’ Shawn insists he made a commitment to the job, and Cory snarks: ‘Oooh, loyalty. I like that. In a worthless little coffee boy, who they don’t care if he lives or dies.’   
(Cory’s interesting here and in ‘Dangerous Secret’, he’s generally a naïve guy compared to streetwise Shawn, but we see in these episodes that he lasers in immediately on any attempts on Shawn’s part to delude himself if he feels Shawn or someone else is in danger.)   
Shawn references a joke Turner made at his expense earlier, saying he doesn’t want to spend his life ‘in front of a convenience store, waiting for the next batch of lottery tickets’ and that it makes him feel like somebody to be able to buy nice presents. Cory presses ‘So this is it? This is the road you’re taking?’ Shawn diverts that he doesn’t know what’s in the box, it could be a teddy bear. Cory says: ‘Okay, so come over to my house, and we’ll play a little game called ‘Let’s Guess the Street Value of the Teddy.’   
Shawn, defeated, argues that maybe ‘this is my street’, that ‘maybe no matter what I do, this is where I end up, like that poem says.’ Cory argues that the poem says there are choices; and Shawn tells him that ‘it’s Christmas Eve, you should be with your family.’ Cory says: ‘No, no, that would be the wrong choice. You see the difference with the poem is, that that guy had to choose his road alone.’ Shawn asks if he didn’t have a best friend, and Cory says according to his watch, Shawn does. Shawn agrees: ‘Two roads diverge in a wood, and I choose the one that leads back to your house.’

Cory and Shawn run a B N’ B out of Feeney’s house in the next episode (with Shawn co-opting Topanga as a maid and proudly trying to bring Cory over to the dark side: ‘You always thought you would rub off on me, but instead I have corrupted you…You’re as shady as I am now, you have to deal with it.’) mainly interesting for the reveal that Cory ‘enjoyed getting spanked’ as a child, as he ‘always deserved it.’ 

Cory gets his driving license in ‘Wheels’, and is excited to cruise: ‘Here we are, just me, my Topanga and my Shawn’, luring Topanga with the promise of a Van Damme flick (‘Van Damme takes his shirt off!’ Why am I unsurprised Cory instantly knows when in a film a guy takes his top off?)

‘Chick Like Me’, the drag episode is hugely well-remembered (and one of Rider Strong’s personal favourites, for you trivia junkies.)   
It begins with a slightly crass illustration of boys versus girls (Topanga and Debbie’s snippets of the conversation are mainly: ‘He gave you---? That’s really expensive!’) and how Debbie, a friend-for-the-episode had a poor experience with a guy on a date who became an ‘octopus’ at the end of the night. Topanga, her S1!character now fully murdered and replaced, chips in with the inevitable: ‘#NotAllMen' and Cory claims twenty-four hours a day, he thinks of nothing but her, to which she rewards him with a treat, pet-style, and frankly a little disturbingly.   
Shawn suggests guys and girls are looking for the same things, and Debbie suggests girls want to make a genuine connection.   
Shawn queries: ‘You’re not interested in making out?’ and Debbie says ‘Maybe I am and maybe I’m not, but it shouldn’t be expected because I went on a date with you.’   
Shawn then checkmates her with his own brand of illogic, basically saying ‘Well, then don’t date guys at all.’ Debbie agrees, and she lives happily ever after. The end!   
LOL, j/k, Topanga ticks off Shawn for being insensitive, and Shawn has a hissy-fit at Cory because it didn’t ‘pay to be honest with a girl’ and storms off to the 90s equivalent of the red pill.   
Cory decides dressing in drag will give him insight into the female experience, to Alan’s horror.   
Shawn and Topanga arrive, with Topanga inexplicably apologising for being overly protective of her friend that was never before or after seen or mentioned, and didn’t consider ‘Shawn’s point of view’ that women must cede to automatic make-out rights with every man or else end their days alone.   
Cory asks Topanga to ‘make Cory pretty’ to which she’s excited: ‘Cool!’ (Perhaps so she can picture Cory as a girl that much easier. You’ll take Lesbian!Topanga and the crumbs it receives every season or so from my cold, dead hands.) And Shawn just has to be there for reasons of…idk, adjusting and supervising underwear changes?  
Shawn and Topanga try to lure out a shy Cory, but he makes a homely girl (‘Fat is the least of your problems, babe.’) unlike Shawn the super twink, and they decide to dress Shawn up instead. (We see again here how Topanga relies on Shawn to calm and persuade Cory, even with subjects one would presume she’d be expert in, such as…being a girl.)   
The next day at school, the boys are enjoying the ruse to a level way beyond the journalistic, with Cory walking arm around Shawn (or his alter ego, Veronica Wasboyski) and telling him he’s ‘kind of a babe.’ Shawn is thrilled at this, and at Cory carrying his books; while Topanga wonders why Cory never carries her books to a, frankly savage: ‘Well, look at him! …And look at you!’   
The ‘target’ of Debbie’s octopus-like date, Gary, approaches, immediately entranced with Veronica to Cory’s ‘ecstatic’ reaction (‘I’m taking those pornographic photos of my best friend getting railed by a football player for SCIENCE, dagnabit!’) and while Shawn is unhappy at sacrificing his date night, Cory explains it still is. Shawn agrees within seconds, with 90s sitcom gags: ‘Tee hee, now he doesn’t know what to wear!’   
On the date, Veronica/Shawn is suckered in by Gary’s sweet talk and ‘finds himself gazing fondly at Gary, and turns away, looking mildly appalled with himself’, to quote the script.   
Cory enters in drag, as a waitress, to a nearby Topanga (who’s reading a magazine, but I think we all know is really there as her official role of Cockblock) and Shawn’s horror; flirting with Gary (can a threesome be only minutes away? Not today, friends. Not today.) and pinching Shawn’s cheek.   
Gary makes the moves on Shawn, living down to his octopus reputation with shoulder rubs and under the table gropes.   
Shawn is pissed that Gary doesn’t listen, and exits, before Cory and Topanga persuade him back (idk why, tbh. Does Gary have to discover Captain Winky or something before the date’s over? What this story gives in glorious homoeroticism, it definitely lacks in journalist ethics, dagnabit.) Topanga finally owns Shawn for his double standard (too little, too late, but Topanga’s spine is my favourite guest star, and I only wish she was a reoccurring role), passive-aggressively wondering if Shawn sent ‘a signal’ until Shawn realises: ‘I’m not like that.’ Topanga gives him a look, and he decides: ‘I’m not… I never will be again.’  
Gary apologises, telling everyone that ‘nobody respects women more than me’, and thankfully he doesn’t have a Twitter as it didn’t exist, so we don’t have to hear about how he has a mother/daughter/pet female aardvark and is therefore not a misogynist.   
Gary offers to teach Shawn to play fussball, and Shawn owns him at it (the message here seems to be a well-attempted ‘Men are annoying gatekeepers of sports who assume women are inept’, but since Shawn is in fact a dude incognito, it’s marred a little.)   
Gary goes for another grope, and is pulling every sexism trick he knows is a desperate attempt to bag Veronica’s V, saying the way Shawn’s dressed proves he’s asking for it. Shawn, hilariously, seems genuinely hurt at this swipe at his clothing choice, saying quietly: ‘I just wanted to look nice’, but Gary’s now into the ‘You frigid? You a lesbian?’ (Shawn interrupts with a punch: ‘For EVERY girl I’ve EVER known!’ before Gary could continue into ‘You’re fat and I didn’t fancy you anyway!’)  
Cory drops the bill on Gary’s corpse, and he and Shawn link arms and exit with Topanga as a contented thruple.   
At school the next day, Debbie thanks Shawn for ridding the world of the menace of Gary, to which Shawn humbly insists the praise is unnecessary as he learned a lot, and they agree to date; with the episode’s conclusion being that Cory is still wearing hosiery.

The next episode is a two-parter. Cory is shocked when Eric informs him Shawn kissed Topanga in Chubbies; although it’s not clearer if he feels more betrayed by Shawn macking on his girlfriend or Topanga macking on his Shawn.   
The next day, he finds the pair eating together. Topanga exits, despite Cory physically standing in front of her, while Shawn backs down right off the bat: ‘You let her go!’   
Cory asks what happened, and Shawn explains he hugged Topanga because she was emotional after a fight with her parents. ‘That’s what happened, and you KNOW I tell you everything.’   
Cory asks why she didn’t come to him (Um, because she doesn’t tell YOU everything?) and Shawn takes passive-aggressive jabs at Eric (Eric and Shawn’s mutual hate vibes in this episode are really funny to me for some reason, and culminate with both Eric and Cory throwing Shawn against a wall, in a scene my 14 year old self found inexplicably hot.)   
Topanga reveals her invisible parents are moving ‘the day after tomorrow’ (what, are they in Witness Protection?!) and she and Cory agree to a long-distance relationship (what a shame they couldn’t have considered that, oh, I don’t know, when she got into Yale?!)   
Shawn makes meta jokes about how Topanga won’t actually move (the show seeming to have their cake and eat it: ‘Look, we’re not all cliched! If we say she’ll move, she will!’ as they back down after an episode) as Cory doesn’t deserve that kind of pain.   
Hilariously, Shawn and Topanga’s nascent friendship has also regressed swiftly, and when Topanga thanks him for seeing her off, he’s ‘oddly happy’ (we’re given to understand this is because he believes she won’t really go, but frankly, the idea Shawn isn’t secretly thrilled to have his very own ‘Yoko’ out of the way is as unbelievable as this whole plot.) 

The next episode begins with Cory and Shawn on a double date with two English girls (accents are exactly as painful as you’d expect), in a retread of S3, as Cory fixates on Topanga, and Shawn begs Cory to make out with another girl while he watches: ‘Please. For one night, I beg of you, there is no Topanga! If you care about me at all, and even if you don’t care about me but could someday care about me, then go.’  
Cory’s mom, Amy, thinks Cory and Topanga need to make a clean break (this seems perfectly reasonable for two sixteen year olds, but the show always has this vibe like the only reason she could object to this hallowed union is because Topanga is a woman and will therefore usurp her role as Guardian of Cory, and want to, idk, wash his underwear and feed him by hand.)   
However, Topanga has run away to be with Cory (the only cute bit is Shawn’s interjection: ‘Your hair’s wet, you’re wearing Cory’s clothes. You ran away, didn’t you? She gets that from me.’) Cory compares his relationship to Topanga with his parents twenty-two years of marriage, apparently seriously; and the episode concludes with a magical aunt that Topanga will stay with for the rest of high school (said aunt will appear as often as any figure in Topanga’s life outside of Cory, aka, never.) [A review](http://boymeetsworldreviewed.blogspot.com/2014/06/episode-4x17-long-walk-to-pittsburgh.html) pointed out the difficulty in taking this plot seriously when the groundwork on both Cory/Topanga’s relationship and Topanga herself hasn’t been done, saying: _“When has Cory ever been a better person because of Topanga? Most of the time that Cory has character development, it's because of Shawn. If Shawn were moving to Pittsburgh and then ran away back to Philly, my heart would be BREAKING. But we just don't have the history with Topanga to buy what they're selling. I mean, this is the same guy who valued Topanga's sweet sixteen party the same as a goddamn wrestling match a few episodes ago. It's not the material itself that I take issue with, I can roll with the whole "soulmates" thing, but it's just not supported by everything else in the show.”_

College begins to take a larger role in the end of S4. Cory and Topanga trick Shawn into attending ‘the carnival like atmosphere’, of Mr Feeney’s prep classes; Shawn comes up with lists for where Cory and Topanga can attend so even if he doesn’t qualify himself: ‘the three of us can still be together’; and ‘Cult Fiction’, another biggie episode in terms of recall, begins with Mr Turner’s last appearance on the show, as he asks Shawn what his goals are in life.   
Shawn fliply suggests Hawaii, and Turner tells him not to blow off one of the few people in his life who care about him. (Turner has been sort of intermittent throughout S4 due to Anthony Taylor Quinn’s other commitments, so this kind of rings false, but there’s been enough shown of Turner’s closeness to Shawn and Chet/Virna’s unreliable approach to parenting to warrant it, I guess.)  
It’s interesting this talk is in part prompted by Turner suggesting Shawn seek something outside of his reliance on Cory and Topanga as a pairing; as when Cory and Topanga exit, with Topanga shutting down Shawn’s Hawaii idea: ‘I wanna go to Penn state’ and Cory’s agreement: ‘I wanna go where she goes’; Turner tells Shawn his parents are ‘busy’ on their marriage, and ‘So are (Cory and Topanga.)’, implicitly linking this to Shawn’s need to find an identity or goal of his own.  
A student in class calls out Turner as ‘doing a number’ on Shawn, and ‘embarrassing’ him, and invites him to a local hangout. We meet Mr Mack (aka the original Stiles from Teen Wolf – there’s a neat article about how this casting choice gives us clues as to the character’s true purpose [here.](https://sonoffeeney.typepad.com/the_son_of_feeney/2008/12/cult-fiction-boy-meets-worlds-exploration-of-the-quest-for-self-and-the-messianic-tradition.html))  
Mr Mack asks Shawn if he’s ‘centred’, to which Shawn answers: ‘I’m totally off-center.’   
The next time we see Shawn, however (the short time length of this plot-length lampshaded with Cory’s line: ‘I mean, you were there for what – an hour?’) he’s noticeably acting different.   
Bizarrely, a lot of the focus of this is his physical affection with Cory, as he leaps up to give Cory a huge hug, and Cory ‘looks alarmed and pushes him off, saying ‘Hey, hey! What the heck are you doing?!’.   
Shawn answers ‘Just saying hello!’ to which Cory replies: ‘Well, hello, and let’s never say hello like that again!’ This is just odd, Shawn and Cory have always been a hugely physically affectionate pair, and I don’t buy Cory would suddenly be like ‘NO HOMO, GTFO’ over a hug; he’s reacted less to Shawn pinching his ass in public! It’s kind of a lazy set-up, but the pay-off line and final hug are pretty iconic; so I guess I’m forced to allow the plot of this 23 year old TV show to stand.   
This time.  
Anyway, the cult falls into the trap of bad TV writings, modern and old, and everyone suddenly fixates on what Shawn believes (with a dollop of ‘You need to believe in SOMETHING, and it doesn’t have to be an Abrahamic religion, but really, really should be’, ala _Glee_ ); while the actual beliefs of the cult itself are never explored at all, and mostly played for comedy effect (hi there, _Umbrella Academy_!) despite the place itself being apparently serious and threatening enough that Mr Feeny’s been ‘trying to shut them down for years.’  
The strongest stuff is the character exploration of Shawn feeling as if ‘there’s some hole in me, and everyone could see through it…like I wasn’t finished or something.’   
The Matthews and Feeny debate dragging Shawn out of the Centre; when they’re interrupted by a call. Turner’s had an accident on his motorbike and is in the hospital.   
Shawn arrives at the hospital with Mr Mack. Alan threatens Mack, telling him: ‘A judgement I made a long time ago is that Shawn Hunter is the best friend that my kid ever had. And I will kill to protect Shawn Hunter from people like you.’  
Shawn feels the whole situation is too intense, and Topanga interjects with a saintly: ‘For all of us, Shawn. But this is life, and this is what’s really happening right now.’ (Easy for her to say, she gets a plot about once a year!) This episode has an interesting parallel with one in S6, where Alan and Amy’s fourth child, Joshua, is born early, and Topanga is irritated by Cory’s inability to face the reality of Joshua’s precarious health situation; which I’ll discuss later on in the S6 chapter.  
Shawn tries to exit, but Cory pulls him into a hug, saying ‘This is a hug! And THIS is when you hug somebody – when you CARE about them! And that you want them to KNOW that!’, insisting that Shawn stay with Turner (it seems harsh that he and Topanga then exit the ward altogether, but for the dramatic requirement of Shawn talking to Turner’s unconscious body; I guess it’s essential…)   
Shawn tells John ‘I don’t do alone real good’ and that he needs John, ‘and Cory…and my parents…and the Matthews, and the handful of people who REALLY care about me’ before finally submitting to the ABC/Disney mandated belief in God, saying ‘I don’t want to be empty inside anymore.’ The episode concludes with Shawn’s smug insistence that he ‘just knows’ (because God told him, u gueyz!) that Turner will be fine (if offscreen!) and telling Mr. Mack to bug off back to selling werewolf nudes. 

The series concludes on an Eric episode (as seems to be the theme from the S3 finale!) as Topanga ducks a road trip with the guys to visit universities (Shawn and her relationship is now in an off phase apparently, and Cory’s announcement she won’t be coming garners: ‘Oh, cool, I can take my lounge chair.’)   
Cory meets a girl who’s been recently dumped and basically offers to nail him, but he learns that even though Topanga wasn’t down for road trip shenanigans, a good beard is hard to find (let alone one who’ll bake you pie!) and he rejects Dumpee, who he and Eric grossly compare to the ‘easy, sure thing’ that is Eric’s place at Surfing USA.   
It’s revealed that Topanga didn’t come as she didn’t trust herself not to bang Cory, but couldn’t tell him, anymore than he could tell her he was expecting To-Bang-Her (I’m sorry. I’m just…so sorry. I couldn’t resist.) so I guess it’s good that with their lack of communication; they didn’t begin their mediocre sex life so early.   
They conclude with Topanga calling Cory: ‘A very sexy boy’, and him gleefully exclaiming: ‘Really? I can’t wait to tell Shawn!’ (who meanwhile spent the episode fantasising about some kind of psychic three-way with Mary Beth, himself and Cory; with Eric summarily un-invited. Rudeness, Hunter.)


	6. season 5

**S5 You know what, Shawnie? I always thought that Topanga was the one person I could never live without. But – she’s gone! And – and you’re here! And I’m alive, so it must be you!**

Even more new credits! These ones adorably features Cory sitting on Shawn’s lap. This season introduces two new characters, Angela and Jack. Yup, we’re into the ‘Long Lost Brother’ era of the show. (I kid, I kid!) 

The show begins with Cory and Shawn excited to enter their senior year (‘we’re unstoppable, baby!’), jointly fantasising that Topanga gets carried around by Olympians while they double team some anonymous woman and try not to make too much extended eye contact with each other.  
Cory’s still into the journalism, filming Shawn in the shower of his new apartment (shared with Jack and Eric), and begging him ‘drop the towel’. He has a vision of a documentary about Shawn (which is mainly an excuses for the show to make references to The Real World, but is still pretty adorable) however, Topanga thinks Cory’s focusing too much on his film, and not enough on his friend; who’s upset by friction with new brother Jack.  
(This is really hard to get a handle of, since the writers basically pulled Jack out of their butt. Apparently at one point Jack and Shawn lived in an apartment together, prior to the trailer park? But Jack has a different mother to Shawn? How this fits in with Shawn knowing Cory since babyhood AND aged five; or having been to ten different schools before his teens; and being born in Ohio; works out is anyone’s guess. But basically Shawn feels like rich Jack is ashamed of his trailer trash brother; even though Jack’s like, three years older at the most and couldn’t possibly have any say over who he lived with as a kid.)  
Cory realises that he should have stopped filming and gotten involved in helping Shawn, and that ‘it’s not about my film anymore. It’s too personal, man. It’s your life. Give it a happy ending, okay?’ and Jack and Shawn vow to get along.

[’It’s Not You, It’s Me’](https://wistful-fever.livejournal.com/104853.html) is easily one of the top 3 episodes for Cory/Shawn, and I can’t possibly improve on Wistful-Fever’s recap. Go read!

There’s a very Sweet Valley High plot next in which Shawn decides to quit high school for college (…okay.) He attends philosophy classes, in a warning for Pretentious!Hipster!Shawn approaching in the next season; and argues with Feeny, who suspends him, to Cory’s horror. The episode concludes with Shawn saying for the first time he actually saw himself in college; to which Cory says sincerely: ‘I always saw you there.’ 

‘No Guts No Cory’ is the second of three, completely unrelated time warp episodes. This one I think had a conceit of Sabrina the Teenaged Witch’s cat wishing on a magic ball and creating a tie-in? It’s better not delved into further, imo.  
Anyway, in this episode, Shawn plays the Bucky to Cory’s Steve Rogers, spending World War II standing next to him adoringly, cleaning his gun barrel significantly, holding his dog tags, caressing his helmet (hey-yo!) and promising to marry his sweetheart, should he die in action. (Shawn’s like: ‘Kissing her would be like kissing you! So naturally, I’m DTF! Can she wear khakis during?’) 

The next episode introduces Shawn and Angela as a couple, although she’s already been in a few class scenes (see, they’re learning!)  
Shawn breaks up with her as he can’t legally date any woman for more than two weeks (‘I’m not afraid to make a commitment! I’ve been with Cory fifteen years!’)  
Post INYIM, Topanga is suddenly very keen to see Shawn settled in a relationship with a girl, and she and Cory (‘She’s decided we’re one person’) are concerned he’ll go through life ‘all alone’, which says more about her and Cory than Shawn’s admittedly enormous issues, tbh.  
This episode mostly retreads ground trod by the S3 episode with Dana Pruitt, adding on a layer than Shawn’s seen ‘the pain on (his) father’s face every time a woman walks out!’ (which seems harsh, since Chet, charming or no, is ‘an abusive drunk’ which might contribute a tad to his single status, but okay, we get the drift.)  
Anyways, Angela deals with Shawn’s egocentric dumping (‘You’re taking this so well!’) with a modicum of dignity (‘Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were done letting me down easy!’) which charms Shawn (or for a more cynical read, he’s a masochist who only wants girls when they reject him.) Topanga works hard on the exposition front (‘You two were really getting along!’) as if Trina McGee has a legal limit on the hours she can do on the show (seriously, it’s bizarre, her purse gets more onscreen time than Angela herself.)  
Shawn discovers a lost purse, containing contents such as candy, lip gloss (which he calls ‘sexy’, and ‘the lip gloss of forbidden love’ so Cory naturally applies some right then), a classical music CD, tickets to a Van Damme movie, a Greenpeace sticker, and a guitar pick (all items that are never again mentioned around Angela, inexplicably. Like, c’mon, set-dressers, throw in an axe in her college dorm or something, work with me here, people!) and decides he likes all the same interests. (Apparently when he thought he hated them, he just ‘never gave it a chance!’, a subtle metaphor for a committed relationship, not.)  
Corpanga hit harder with their ‘DON’T YOU WANT LOVE, SHAWN?’ and try to set Shawn up with girls so he can validate their own life choices, however these dates are doomed to failure, as Shawn increasingly fixates on The Purse.  
Angela makes subtle appearances so we’re aware of their Burgeoning Chemistry and the possible Mysterious Identity of the purse owner.  
This subplot is honestly kind of sad, Shawn seems to be desperately trying to force himself to become Cory and Topanga: ‘It’s like you and Topanga, you know? A perfect fit’, flat-out stating that the feeling of love minus the actual, pesky human being is ‘so incredible’ that he’s not sure finding out the girl’s identity can be ‘as good’. 

The episode begins it’s second part, this one titled ‘Chasing Angela’ (cute, referencing the Kevin Smith film with the subplot about a guy in love with his best friend) as Shawn continues his meaningless dates, and Cory decides that he needs to reveal Purse Girl’s identity; despite being ordered to stay out of Shawn’s personal life: ‘This is the woman he could spend the rest of his life with. I don’t consider that personal.’  
Shawn doubts he could be in love with Angela: ‘Don’t you think I’d know it?’ but when Cory orders him to look into Angela’s eyes, he giggles, calls her ‘sir’ and hides in a closet from her. (Subtext becoming textual…)  
There’s a bare scrap of characterisation for Angela, who’s revealed to have her own commitment issues; but again, this is so far so ‘The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter’ (minus the slut-shaming of ‘flashy’ girls, but with the addition of Cory becoming megalomaniacal and trying to control the narrative of Shawn’s relationship.)  
Cory tells Shawn that he’s in charge of this relationship, rather than Shawn or god forbid, Angela (‘She doesn’t know what she wants, I know what she wants!’) and Shawn introduces this creepy refrain of whining to Angela ‘Why can’t we be Cory and Topanga?’ (I counted, and there’s like, eight references in two episodes.)  
He tells Angela that he knows she’s scared to commit (the idea that Angela might not be wedded to the idea of eternity with Shawn is never really considered by anyone) but as Shawn ‘read the same books, watched the same movies’ as her, when he tells her how he feels, it’s not just words (…okay?) and persuades her to dinner with him.  
(It’s really irritating, and is a theme for this pairing, unfortunately, that when Angela states an opinion, Shawn wears her down, but when Shawn says no, Angela is just supposed to accept it passively and wait.)  
Cory makes the reservations, despite neither Angela nor Shawn particularly liking the old-fashioned, fancy restaurant he selected, and seems to be indulging in a fit of nostalgia about his own relationship that mystifies Topanga herself (‘You’re looking at them more than you’re looking at me.’ ‘It’s us, twenty years ago.’) It turns out that Cory, too, has been playacting a role (‘I was doing it because I thought that’s what you wanted’) and when Cory and Topanga make-out, Angela admits: ‘I want what they have.’

There’s filler episodes, including one in which Cory and Shawn are jealous over waiters at a restaurant Topanga and Angela waitress at; which is mainly jokes about how handsome ‘Sergio’ and ‘Nunzio’ are, and all the men (Cory, Shawn, Feeny, Alan, Jack and Eric) acting contrivedly dumb (‘I don’t get women. Why can’t they be more like men?’ ‘Angela doesn’t even get me.’ ‘It’s like Topanga and me are speaking different languages.’) in order that they reward the girls for tolerating the last 2 million years of patriarchy with an erotic dance set to ‘Hot Stuff’ (only Alan and Feeny really have the moves, forcing me to question everything I knew about my sexuality.)

An episode then forgets Angela for a while; as Feeny, as is his wont, decides the trio of Cory, Shawn and Topanga need to be taught A Lesson, after Shawn fails to finish a paper, Cory makes excuses for him, and Topanga defends the pair. Cory’s desperate to assist Shawn, but Shawn decides he’s his own worst enemy because of his defeatist attitude, and tells Cory to ‘be my best friend and get out of my way.’ Feeny explains that Topanga needs to be stop being ‘a control freak’, Cory needs to recognise that he won’t always be able to help Shawn, and Shawn needs to achieve things on his own in order that he wants to and believes he can succeed in college.

A mini-arc of yet another Cory-Topanga split begins with a ski-trip away. Shawn has a blueprint of the lodge, hoping to get himself and Cory laid (with the girls, of course, of course.) Topanga points out, accurately but fruitlessly, that she might get more jazzed if Cory talked to her about their weekend plans instead of Shawn.  
However, their plans are all for naught when Cory’s injured getting of the bus, and starts a conversation with a ski lodge attendant, Lauren (a young Linda Cardellini, aka Velma or Chutney from Legally Blonde; depending on your age in the early 2000s.)  
They end up smooching, to Shawn’s horror (‘You lied to Topanga!’) as he’d been working on the fair assumption that Topanga was his only competition for Cory’s heart. (In all seriousness, like Shawn’s relationship with Dana in S3, there’s a huge deal made about how Cory is shocked – SHOCKED, I tell you! – that he could enjoy spending time with any girl but Topanga, let alone be sexually attracted to her.)  
Shawn literally coaches Cory with finger gestures through what to say, begging him not to tell Topanga (there’s a bizarrely controlling streak here as Shawn explains Topanga will forgive Cory for _talking_ to Lauren, like he’s supposed to shun the gaze of all females outside his family forever more; but I suppose Topanga lives under the same expectations, since apparently her having male co-workers was a huge issue for Cory. Healthy!) and acting personally betrayed (‘Nothing happened, Shawn, we were just talking.’ ‘All night?...You think I don’t know you better than anyone?’) 

The plot continues in ‘First Girlfriends Club’. Shawn confides his fear in letting down his mailman, as well as Angela.  
Cory blathers on about how they need to mimic his and Topanga’s bizarro relationship (there’s a cute moment where Topanga then throws Cory angrily against a locker; so Shawn throws Angela, who frankly, looks into it.) and pouts that Topanga’s pissed off with him, due to Lauren revealing all in a letter.  
Shawn defensively says ‘Hey, don’t jump on me, I’m not the one who kissed you!’ although that plot would be about ten billion times more involving and in-character. Cory says Shawn told him to lie, but it occurs to neither of them that their wild co-dependence and reliance on steering each other’s romantic lives may be the true villain of the piece.  
Shawn plans a date with Angela for Valentine’s Day, but Dana, Jennifer and Libby (some S2 guest) decide all men are dogs (poor Angela’s given the ‘#Notallmen!’ line in Topanga’s absence) so it’s time for an episode where Shawn deals with His Reputation and decides to be Boyfriend Material; which would be much more compelling if it hadn’t been done almost every season this show was on.  
The show clearly cast actresses we’d remember (in Dana and Jennifer’s case, anyway) but it’s hard to take their complaints OR Shawn’s protestations of innocence seriously within the confines of sitcom rules that state people disappear for no reason.  
(It’s also super weak that Libby was in the episode in which Cory kisses another girl, so we’re literally living both Cory and Shawn’s plot over and over again, Groundhog Day style.)  
I guess apparently Shawn promised he’d date Libby and Dana again (for THIS Valentine’s Day – what? We haven’t seen Libby in 3 years?!), but ghosted them (at the same school, not an easy task) although he and Jennifer split by mutual agreement, so one would promise all promised dates were automatically null. I’d complain, but I like Kristanna Loken enough to tolerate the contrivance.  
Dana and Libby at least seem motivated by protecting Angela (we can’t pass the Bechdel test on Boy Meets World, but assume that at some point in time they…met her?) and on a meta level, they’re entirely correct (by the next Valentine’s Day, Shawn and Angela are indeed broken up, due to his inability to commit, and wounding Angela.) but this is still a real stretch.  
There’s grace notes (Shawn’s kidnapped by the FGC, to which he remarks to Dana: ‘Your tastes have changed from our last date, when we went skating!’ as well as the reunion of Cory and Jennifer: ‘About the only person Shawn Hunter is capable of liking is Shawn Hunter. And that little curly headed guy…’ ‘I never liked you, did I?’ ‘No.’) but it’s hard to sympathise with either the FGC, who tie Shawn up in a boathouse in order to put him on trial; or Shawn, who default lies without thinking about it to Angela, and apparently has made promises months in advance he has no intention of keeping.  
The whole episode has a bizarrely adult tone for BMW, as Shawn admits he’s always wanted to feel ‘for somebody what Cory feels for Topanga’, so he ‘said things I wanted to feel, and I kissed you like I loved you.’ (It more fits a guy who’s slept around, which is more what you say ‘I love you’ to get, and generally you fuck someone ‘like (you) love them’ rather than kiss them.)  
The end result is Angela of course looks for Shawn at Cory’s, Cory of course comes to Shawn’s rescue (and takes a few jabs at both Angela and by proxy Topanga, by sermonizing that ‘You don’t doubt first. You trust first. Love doesn’t require perfection, but it does require forgiveness.’) and Angela and Shawn once more backtrack from a solid commitment (Shawn can’t say to Angela’s face that he cares, even though he told the FGC he loved her) and they end on Shawn saying: ‘I think you have to be friends before you can fall in love’; as Shawn invites Corey to join their date.

The next episode deals with Topanga and Cory’s estrangement, as Shawn tries to reunite the two. (There’s a sweet moment with him and Topanga, where she says how great it is he’s doing this for Cory, and he unwillingly admits ‘You’re my friend, Topanga. You’re one of the two best people I know’, and a rather revealing moment to follow, in which Topanga jokes ‘Who’s first?’ and Shawn answers: ‘He is. But you and me are the two best things in his life.’ Topanga repeats: ‘Who’s first’, and Shawn says: ‘You are,’ in a serious tone; which is manna from heaven to Topanga’s ears, even if it is a complete fabrication.)  
He’s convinced a guy can do no better than Topanga Lawrence, while a girl can do no better than Cory Matthews, to a frankly disturbing level (‘God is crying because he created you and Topanga to be the role models of the perfect couple for the entire universe!’) which is handwaved as down to Shawn ‘some day, after a slew of meaningless relationships…gonna want what you have.’ (Ouch to Angela there!) ‘And how can I want what you have when you don’t have it?’  
However, Lauren reappears (apparently Cory’s kisses moved her such that she followed him across state lines!) and Topanga decides Cory needs to decide what he wants. Cory and Lauren date, and Alan, Amy and Shawn are forced to confess they like her despite themselves, with Shawn instructing her ‘Have him home by midnight.’. (This also introduces the first interjection of Shawn calling a lady: ‘Yoko’, but not the last…)  
Afterwards, Cory and Shawn decide to rank each girl on personality, sense of humour, deep conversations, honesty and fuckability, blissfully unaware that Shawn fits each criteria better than either Topanga or Lauren.

However, Topanga, in a classic mindfuck, says that she could forgive the kiss, but not Cory’s testing how he felt about her. Cory says that that was her idea and he only went because she insisted, and she says: ‘But you listened.’ (This plot is all over the map! We’ve already seen Topanga be wildly forgiving about Cory kissing another girl in S2; now she still seems okay with the extra-curricular kissing, but livid at Cory doing what she asked him to do. Later episodes in S6 have Cory learning that a kiss doesn’t mean anything, the exact tack he already believes her; and by Girl Meets World; Topanga blames herself for the whole thing as she ‘allowed’ herself to feel threatened by Lauren. W.T.F.)

The next episode is probably the best known of all Boy Meets World episodes, the Scream parody.  
Shawn is quite literally between Topanga and Cory post-break-up (with Shawn as the seat buffer in Feeny’s class,) and Angela queries his obsession, with Topanga pointing out: ‘He’s almost taking it harder than me and Cory.’ Shawn clearly cherishes some latent anger at Topanga, who he refers to as ‘wrong’ to break up with Cory, and as ‘stabb(ing Cory) in the back’.  
While the gang split up and search for a killer stalking John Adams High, Cory and Angela glare at each other, as do Shawn and Topanga. When Feffy (90’s scream queen Jennifer Love Hewitt, playing…Jennifer Love Pfefferman) and Cory wander down an aisle together making eyes at each other, a skull-masked figure kills her, as well as Jack, Angela and Eric.  
With only Topanga, Cory and Shawn surviving, Cory demands: ‘Why are you doing this to us?’ as the skull-masked killer forces Cory and Topanga to lace their fingers together. Shawn grabs the figure’s mask to reveal…himself. (This got DEEP for a sitcom.)  
Waking up from his nightmare, he realises that Cory and Topanga have ‘been together since before I even knew you’ (according to variable continuity, anyway) and if they’re not, then ‘I feel like there’s nothing I can depend on.’  
Feeny, Cory and Topanga reassure Shawn that the break-up is not his fault, and Shawn asks ‘How come I feel so bad?’ with Feeny ‘lightly’ answering: ‘Well, because you’re a troubled young man.’ LOL, Feeny didn’t want to open that can of worms. 

There’s also a [draft script](http://jeffmenell.com/uploads/Shawn2.pdf), and this episode went on a wild ride. The stuff cut includes Shawn trying to bribe Cory and Topanga to make it work; Topanga bribing Cory with sexual favours to save her life; an appearance from Alan and Amy as angels; fake out reveals of Cory as the killer (‘You’re a bitter trailer park kid who’s always been jealous of the likes of me/’), Shawn playing cards with the real killer Jennifer Love Pfefferman, and the Cory/Shawn/Topanga love triangle getting real explicit with both lines from Angela, who according to this is currently on a break from Shawn (  
_ANGELA: Shawn's obsessed with you two, you know that.  
TOPANGA I think it's sweet.  
ANGELA It's annoying.  
TOPANGA What's bugging you?  
ANGELA Nothing. I'm just glad you and Cory split up. You guys were too intense. Me and Shawn could never live up to your relationship.  
TOPANGA Who asked you to?  
ANGELA That's why he broke up with me, you know?  
TOPANGA Oh, so now it's my fault?_), Shawn and Angela clashing over Cory (‘You’re the one with the big mouth, Cory.’ ‘Hey, you leave my boy alone!’) and a totally different denouement in which Shawn realises he’s been ‘living vicariously through (Cory) and Topanga all (his) life’ and that he ‘can’t tie my whole life to what you two do’. (Which I would assume they cut because…well, that’s what Shawn does spend the rest of the series doing, right up to moving to New York and quitting college to be with them.) 

The codependence gets real with the next episode ‘If You Can’t Be With One You Love’ (even the title’s queer, referring to the old song about loving the one you’re with, directly referenced with Cory’s line about how he thought he couldn’t live without Topanga, but Shawn’s there and he’s alive, so it must be Shawn.)  
Cory is despondent over the breakup, while Shawn is unusually short with him (‘Nobody wants to be around Cory the Downer’.) At a party, Cory is the life and soul, due to whisky ripped off from his dad. Frankly, I wouldn’t recommend alcoholism, but Drunk!Cory _is_ kind of preferable to the usual version, at least at this stage in the torturously stretched break-up plot, so drink up, little Cory.  
Cory tries the ole peer pressure line, tagging Shawn fairly accurately: ‘Your goody-goody friend…did it, and you will not be able to live with yourself unless you do it too’, and they spend a delightful drunken evening not at the party (Shawn’s supposed to be ‘going home with’ (Angela) but I guess she got ditched!) but instead, idk, wandering Philly. Cory confesses that he can’t live without Shawn, while Shawn offers to take a bullet for Cory (or a dick, if the situation calls for it) and they admit their love (with Shawn super tellingly concluding apropros of nothing: ‘And I’m not ashamed!’) as a passer-by compliments their alternative lifestyle.  
However, they take things too far when they pee on a cop car, and Alan unleashes the beast, ticking off the pair and assuming Cory is ‘covering up for Shawn like you always do’; not realising that the habit of a lifetime has been broken, and his own saintly middle-class child is to blame. Shawn takes that bullet, and the blame, saying ‘He wanted to feel good and I showed him how’, and Alan looks like he’s going to slug him, so I guess that innuendo wasn’t lost on at least one Matthews. He lays down the ultimate law and says Cory and Shawn need ‘some time apart,’ and Cory confesses he made Shawn drink.  
They agree not to do it again, however, Shawn kicks off in class, being rude to Topanga (‘Why don’t you stop being so crazy and sit on Cory’s lap?’) and Feeney.  
Cory follows him to his apartment, with Topanga, Angela, Jack and Eric inexplicably hot on their heels (even if teacher’s pet Topanga was sufficiently concerned to duck out of school early, where the frickedy-frack did Jack and Eric come from in the middle of the day?)  
Shawn says he’s ‘doing this for you. You’re worried about me, you stop thinking about Topanga. By the way, y’know, she’s getting out of school right about now. Why don’t you go across the street from her and cry?’  
This seems wildly revealing, with Shawn basically admitting flat-out that his self-destruction is in part fuelled by a desire to distract Cory’s attention from Topanga to himself, and how, rather than trying to reunite them, he’s got some serious resentment towards not only Topanga (that ‘Why don’t you stop being so crazy and sit on Cory’s lap?’ line is not only sexually crude and reductive, even for Topanga and Shawn, who’ve clashed before, but also betrays Shawn’s feelings about the break-up – he may like both of them, but he literally cannot understand why Topanga can’t instantly forgive Cory) but also Cory’s feelings for her (‘Why don’t you go across the street from her and cry?’ interestingly gets Cory’s ‘bewildered’ ‘What?’ before the conversation is lost when the others arrive.) and how they distract him from Shawn (‘I’ve been drinking all week, and you haven’t even noticed a thing.’  
Topanga’s shocked ‘You were drinking?’ to Cory gets an angry: ‘Yeah, what do you figure that was about? I WONDER’ from Shawn, and when Angela tries to give Shawn some privacy (‘Let’s just go outsi-‘), he shoves her against a door, and she exits. It’s revealed that Chet, too, was an abusive drunk, which I guess works within his characterisation; but kind of lets Shawn off the hook (if your boyfriend shoves you when he’s drunk, the solution is just…hope he never drinks again. It was all the evil alcohol’s influence!)  
This episode goes kinda ham in terms of structure (the dangers of drinking switch from ‘you’re breaking the law, and it’s not good to drown your sorrow’ to ‘you could become an incipient alcoholic in under a week!’ They never even mention the more obvious drawbacks to drinking, like, idk, the hangovers?) and the timeline makes no sense (the party was on Friday night - did Shawn just ditch Angela at the party then? Since she obviously didn't see the boys wasted - the school day is Monday, and now it's been a week? And how on earth wouldn't Cory notice that Shawn had been drinking _all_ week? He's not exactly a quiet drunk.) and the biggest focus is on Shawn’s apologies to Topanga and Feeney, but it skims over that the drinking just exacerbated issues Shawn already had (anger at Jack and his mother; resentment of Cory and Topanga as a couple and separately.)  
The episode ends with Topanga and Cory having learnt nothing about how irritating their dynamic is, as Cory tells her he still loves her, she claims not to care, he says ‘Ok…’ and she unleashes another mindgame with ‘It’s okay with you I don’t care?’ and he claims ‘I don’t care what you think.’

The next episode is thankfully a light one, with an cute meta A-plot in which Eric goes to Hollywood and meets the cast of ‘Kid Encounters the Universe’, including Ben Sandwich and Schneider, who’s costume prep to play Rory and Shane is to swap shirts. Ben (brother of Bread!) ruthlessly bullies the introverted Schneider, much like the writers hilariously bully their cast member’s personalities here, and drag their own lazy plotting (‘We’re doing this story AGAIN?’)  
Meanwhile, there’s a focus on Shawn and Topanga’s relationship when she tells Shawn she still wants to be his friend even if she and Cory are broken up. Shawn seems as if he’s not up for it, telling her he doesn’t want her help, however, when she nurses him through chicken pox, he admits it would break his heart if they weren’t friends anymore (albeit after a nasty fakeout, where he begins: ‘You know, he used to tell me how wonderful you were. But guys always say great things about their girlfriends until they break up... and that’s when the truth comes out. Y’know, I’ve waited fifteen years to find out what he really thinks about you. Do you wanna know what he thinks about you, now that you’ve broken up?’) 

‘Starry Night’ returns to the interminable Cory/Topanga wangst as Cory rambles about how he’s been into Topanga’s ‘tushie’ since it was in diapers (…ew!)  
There’s a sweet photograph of Rider Strong and Ben Savage in period costume as ‘Silas Matthews and Ebenezer Hunter’ founding fathers of Philly; before we cut to Topanga boring Angela about why a kiss means everything (the focus having switched from the kiss to Cory having to decide between Lauren and Topanga to…the kiss again; and an issue which both Cory and Topanga switch positions on throughout the show) Angela, the lone sane man, urges Topanga to move on, especially when a cute guy asks her out.  
Shawn’s ticked with Angela, who remains uncowed (‘this is me: really, really practical’) – I wish she got to keep this personality! – and Shawn decides to officially thrown in the towel; however, inevitably, Cory and Topanga reunite as she reveals she kissed the hottie (he likes art, like she’s always liked art…since the beginning of this episode) but realised she’s ‘taken’ and wuvs Cory forever, bam, the end. 

Just when you think it’s safe to go back into the water… It’s ANOTHER Cory/Topanga episode, as they decide inexplicably that even though we already had a whole episode about how Shawn shouldn’t take responsibility for Corpanga; now they need to break up and reunite so Shawn can get the credit. (Topanga apparently recognises her place in Cory’s life, saying Cory should have told Shawn they’d reunited before he told Topanga.)  
Topanga in particular is aroused by the secrecy (this is probably the only time she’s gotten to mack on her boyfriend without Shawn eyeing the keyhole and being informed over every boobstroke!), however, when she and Cory persuade Shawn to help them, he suggests they both share uncomfortable truths about each other, and she’s ticked at Cory’s description of her as ‘cold and unforgiving.’ Cory blames Shawn for his own stupid plan, and Shawn rightfully calls out both Cory and Topanga as idiots for thinking he’d give a shit.  
They host a group therapy session, in which everyone raises their hand at the question: ‘Who’s sick of the Cory/Topanga issue?’, including me. At home. Twenty two years after the episode’s airdate.  
They look to Eric and Jack’s burgeoning homoerotic bond (Matthews men are weak for Hunter men, clearly, and vice versa) as an example, and reconcile, with Shawn throwing in more random conjecture about how their split was not down to individual incompatibilities so much as ‘You think you’re supposed to’. (…Okay.)  
Cory and Topanga apologise for putting pressure on Shawn, but the narrative undercuts them, proving him as the one behind their final reconciliation (with assistance from Alan and Amy). 

We’re heading towards the end of the season with our first prom episode. Shawn and Cory come downstairs in formal wear, taking prom photos and excited about the ‘biggest night of their lives’ and how they’re going to have sex - with girls! Separately! At this specification, Shawn backs down: ‘Me and Angela? I – I don’t know. Maybe.’  
Apparently Topanga is ‘maybe’ up for sex, however, a third wheel of some guy she agreed to date while on the endless break from Cory crashes their night (Cory gives Howie her corsage, asking ‘You wanna be our date?’ Somewhere in a limo, Shawn breaks into tears.) However, when it’s revealed that Alan and Amy are expecting for the fourth time, their ardour is naturally cooled; and Disney's sexless paradise is preserved.

The penultimate episode deals with college applications.  
Angela, Topanga and Cory have been accepted at Pretend Local University Pennbrooke (which was ‘Penn State’ in previous episodes), while Shawn has been waitlisted. Cory’s petrified things will change (represented at Chubbies, the local restaurant, being co-opted into a Peg Leg Pete’s), and wants the foursome to remain so (‘We’re all gonna go to college together, we’re all gonna live here, have the same jobs, go on vacations together, and be buried next to each other.’) He tells Shawn ‘no matter what happens, I love you’, but is concerned at the idea he won’t be accepted at Pennbrooke. Shawn thinks there’s no big deal, as they’ll always be friends; but Cory warns him that some bonds collapse, post high school, to Shawn’s horror: ‘Could that happen?’  
While Topanga thinks ‘if it’s meant to happen, it will’ (Topanga, frankly, is probably praying for that waitlist rejection at this point) but Cory insists if it’s not meant to happen, he’ll make it so, and he and Topanga work to persuade their classmates to reject Pennbrooke so a space will be ensured. Shawn himself is not wedded to college, as he’s been offered a photography internship, which Cory thinks is ‘throwing away his entire life.’ Shawn considers himself smart to look into other options, and his sudden photography interest is represented in, what else, but a picture of Cory he develops in his lab.  
Topanga, meanwhile, applied to Yales (she hastens to add, only because she was boyfriendless at the time, sigh) and has been waitlisted, which she feels awful about. Cory, not listening, shouts: ‘If you don’t go to Pennbrooke, we’re finished!’ Topanga rushes to reassure him, but he explains he was talking to Shawn, and deals with her actual announcement with customary sympathy (‘Shawn could never get into Yale. You can barely get into Yale.’)  
He consults Feeny (on the Shawn job prospect, naturally), when Topanga arrives. Cory is a huge dbag in this episode, and greets her nervous ‘hi’ with an angry ‘I don’t like the sound of that!’, guessing that she’ll be accepted to ‘the further disintegration of Cory’s world’, not because he believes she’s capable of entrance to an Ivy League college but because ‘That’s the way my life works.’  
He hides out with Morgan (hilariously, it’s STILL all about Shawn to him, as he makes her promise she won’t ‘not go to college and get a job’, before listing ‘Yale’ in between the upheaval of the new baby and Mr Feeny’s upcoming move) until Eric finally tells him he’s been a douche, and the episode ends with him allowing Topanga and Shawn some small amount of control over their own lives. 

The final episode is entitled ‘Graduation.’ We get cameos from Frankie, Joey and Minkus (who has been over ‘the other side’ of the school, aka off-camera; where Mr. Turner apparently still teaches.)  
Topanga insists on having the most A’s of anyone before she’ll graduate (wow, she’s really going to be able to handle the rigours of the Ivy League!) while Feeney delivers a savage: ‘Good luck in hell, Mr Matthews.’  
Shawn’s in a stink because…idk, post S4 Shawn is just kind of sulky in general. He’s not excited about class rings or yearbooks (tbh, understandably, since he’s spent his high school career interacting with all of three different people), and while Cory claims it will take him a week to sign Shawn’s, Shawn leaves his signature as a ‘Hey’, saying ‘You know how I feel about you, why do I have to write it down?’ and he’s ticked that Cory’s pretending to be psyched about Topanga’s acceptance to Yale. (I know Shawn is dependent on Corpanga this season, but yowsa, this is a new level. What does he want here? For Cory to rend his garments and weep? For him to forbid Topanga from completing an application form?)  
Cory’s support of Topanga is, naturally, revealed as a tissue of lies, as he admits that he was supportive as he ‘didn’t think she’d actually go through with it.’ Shawn tells him to tell Topanga his true feelings, and Cory, for once, takes the non-selfish route and say he can’t because he doesn’t want her to make the wrong choice because of him.  
At graduation, Topanga yields her position as valedictorian speech-giver to Shawn, much as she loans him her boyfriend; and Shawn concludes he could have done better in high school.  
Topanga interjects during the speech: ‘Cory, I know what I want to do with my life’, to which Cory shushes her to listen to Shawn, and Topanga, in a last ditch effort for some kind of acknowledgement, proposes, saying she’d need something worth giving up Yale for.  
CLIFFHANGER!


	7. season 6

**S6 Maybe I’m rushing into marriage. I mean, nothing’s gonna change between us, is it? Is that what you’ve been dreaming about?**

The rot really sets in a little in Season 6 (although the show gets a last minute revitalisation in Season 7); and there’s a big focus on Shawn as a solely dramatic character; while Eric is side-lined into a similar role as part of a love triangle between Jack and new character Rachel.

The series begins a two-parter dealing with the resolution of Topanga’s proposal last season.   
Shawn urges Cory to accept, to Cory’s shock (‘You’re supposed to say that you think we’re crazy!’) Shawn thinks that they’ve been married their entire lives, and might as well receive presents.   
Shawn, inspired by Topanga’s power move, then announces he’s quitting his photography job as he’s over ‘naked ladies’ (I only slightly paraphrased, tbh) and proposes he and Cory be college roommates (‘You and me together, that’s two proposals in the same day, I must be the luckiest boy in the world!’)   
There’s a sitcom style confusion in which Alan mistakes this news for news of the proposal (‘You guys have been together forever, why would I be angry? I think you and Shawn will be very happy together.’)   
Topanga’s ticked at this (‘What about us?’) and is apparently to stake her claim on her man, and marry pre-college.   
Angela, once again, is the lone sane man (‘Girl, at our age, we are supposed to be having fun, not getting married. What idiot doesn’t know that?’) surrounded by fools.   
There’s a cute parallel where Topanga pretends like she didn’t tell her bestie (‘I would never!’) while Cory flat-out caves instantly (‘I would never! …Oh, of course I told Shawn!’)  
Alan and Amy think (rightfully) that the marriage is stupid, and Corpanga decide to elope.   
Alan, hilariously, thinks Cory’s way too much of a wuss to defy his paterfamilias, whereas Shawn says it’s ‘no contest’ if he’s forced to choose between ‘anything and Topanga’ (bitter much, Hunter?) and regrets encouraging them when Cory ‘wanted me to tell him to wait,’ as he wants them to marry ‘but not without me.’ (On the wedding night too, no doubt.)   
However, neither Cory nor Topanga seem that keen on their elopement, with Cory purposefully passing the exit to the chapel and delaying his vows (‘Stop hounding me!’)   
However, it’s Topanga who eventually freezes in the clinch, and they head home, unwed, as she explains that she wants the big day, with her (ever-changing, invisible) family, Cory’s family, ‘a big cake’, ‘doves’ and of course, the enormous wedding dress.   
They arrive back, and there’s yet more comedy shenanigans in which everyone assumes they’re married and they don’t disabuse them, for idk, reasons. The most interesting bits are the foreshadowing for the disintegration of Shawn/Angela, when she considers them ‘too young. They haven’t thought of anything.’ (How dare she! They’ve considered doves, Angela. _Doves._ ) and Shawn says: ‘They’re not like us! They’re hopelessly in love!’ Ooof.   
There’s hope of a ray of sanity in this plotline when Amy wonders why Topanga couldn’t have gone to Yale; but instead of having any usual objections to her son and his girlfriend marrying in their teens to the potential detriments of their finances and education; it turns out to be because she’s Just Jellus that she’s been replaced by Cory’s wife, who will now feed, bathe and emotionally labour for him. 

The gang begin college, and Cory freaks out, fleeing to retrieve Feeny from Jackson Hole. The standouts in this episode are Topanga picking Cory’s schedule in his absence (‘You have two classes with me and three with Shawn. I figured you’d want it that way.’) and her referring to Cory’s initially packed schedule as: ‘…taking on an impossible load that will crush you to death’, to which he responds by talking about their relationship: ‘I figure we’ll have ten or twelve years first.’ HA!

Shawn and Angela split in ‘Friendly Persuasion’, as he believes they’re ‘supposed to be meeting new people’.   
I’ve gotta say, my head canon is that Topanga and Cory’s engagement has prompted this sudden ‘I need to be single!’ and tandemed with Shawn’s utter lack of interest and pursuit in other girls, I’m gonna say he’s exploring being bi. There’s a lot of wording about ‘See(ing) what else is out there’, and ‘looking for who he is’, not to mention the stuff he say he tells her ‘that he can’t even tell Cory.’ His telling Cory about the split is even punctuated by him muttering a ‘Wow’ over a naked guy in the co-ed bathrooms.   
This episode is actually kind of nice, focusing on how Cory and Angela haven’t really interacted as individuals. She tells him they were never really friends, and he’s shocked (‘How can she not like me? I’m Cory!’) but Topanga points out he never ‘took the time to get to know her’ (to be fair, all _Topanga_ and Angela’s friendship was pretty much also formed offscreen) and he reaches out in his own try-hard way (‘I know if you just let me be friends with you, I promise I can make things better.’) Angela eventually admits that while she’s been too proud to let on to either Shawn or Topanga, the break-up wasn’t mutual, and she’s hurt by his actions; and a refreshing new dynamic is created.

In ‘Average Cory’, the well is once again drained as Cory feels untalented, saying he ‘comes in a plain wrapper.’   
Shawn argues ‘So do dirty magazines, and everybody loves them.’ Angela exits in disgust, and he calls ‘Okay, not you.’ Angela’s not into Hot Rods or whatever it is Shawn reads, I guess. 

In ‘Hogs and Kisses’, Shawn and Topanga are paired for a college promotional video and have to kiss onscreen (…ah, yes, the traditional way to market your higher education facility!) after Cory and Topanga’s ‘natural chemistry’ once again is sadly lacking.   
Cory decides there’s ‘hidden sexual tension’ between the two, and demands they go on a date, as he picked up on ‘feelings’ by watching the tape 512 times (no doubt one-handed), and is, apparently, in contrast, well aware of when Topanga fakes it with him (‘I know when Topanga’s pretending, I’ve been there!’)   
He bonds with a gay guy in his dorm who’s also been dumped, before asking Angela if Shawn ‘ever called out’ Topanga’s name when he was with her.   
In the least surprising reveal ever, Angela quips: ‘No, but he called out the name Cory!’   
She talks him down, however, telling him they’ll ‘have a terrible time.’   
He retreats to her again after overhearing the ‘forbidden sounds’ of Topanga and Shawn goofing around (the icing on the cake is their interjection of sound effects like a child’s toy beeping: ‘Moo!’ and a table tennis bat.) Angela asks if there’s sexual tension between her and them, and Cory confesses to a dream about her.   
She pushes him on the bed and kisses him, and when he says that while it ‘felt good’, it didn’t mean anything (so…he learns that kisses can be meaningless, the exact lesson he already knew in ‘Starry Night’.) He thanks her for talking him down, and Angela asks him if he shouldn’t trust Topanga more, since he’s spending his life with her. Cory says no one could trust anybody in such a compromising position; and Topanga and Shawn both prove him wrong, entering the room to ‘He’s in bed with Angela.’ ‘They’re so cute’, and joining them on the bed. 

‘You’re Married, You’re Dead’ is one of the stupider later season episodes. (If I left it at: ‘The boys go to a Hooters expy bar’, you’ll probably get the message.)   
Shawn’s been hanging out with ‘the guys’ aka faux-tough card players, and snarks at Cory for being a beta cuck, while he’s a proud MGTOW (‘If there were a Whipped magazine, you’d be the centrefold…Everything you do is based on Topanga…Sometimes I wonder if that ring isn’t through your nose.’) while Cory smug-marrieds about how ‘severely jealous’ everyone in the planet is of his buying into the marital industrial complex at what, 19.   
Cory doesn’t want to be excluded from guy events because he’s engaged, and insists on tagging along to ‘Cleavage,’ while Shawn passive aggressively enquires: ‘May I ask if you’re gonna tell your fiancée?’   
At the bar, Cory’s uncomfortable, while Shawn kind of weakly defends him to the others (‘Cory’s really not like other guys’) Shawn’s facial expressions are all over the place here – when the others say Cory’s married, he scowls; then at Cory’s disagreement, he grins. Cory then jokes that he’s there for hamburgers, and Shawn scowls again.   
Frankly, the subtextual reading of Shawn as motivated in part by feelings for Cory is really the only thing that makes him at all sympathetic in this episode, as he demands Cory ‘take the ring off…It’s strangling you.’  
Cory, fairly wisely for him, says he doesn’t feel like he belongs there, or that Shawn or even Eric does, and says that the other guys are jerks. Shawn says ‘jerk is normal. This is what single guys do in college.’   
Ugh. I always assumed that Shawn could have more friends (what with him quickly finding new friends in ‘The Uninvited’ and ‘It’s Not You, It’s Me’) but he'd rather hang out with Cory, and that neither of them would be comfortable with the other having close friendships. In this episode he's all 'I need to be cool, stop embarrassing me by behaving the way you've always behaved, I need other friends and to see new girls' and then he meets one girl and gambles with like, two dudes. In a year. (At steam baths and cock fights…)   
Not only is he super obnoxious in this episode (when Angela calls him a pig, he says ‘you can’t be mad at me – hello, drama queen? We’re not going out together anymore!’) but so is Topanga; and when Angela remarks: ‘I bet Shawn’s back there with all the other pervs’, Topanga neatly shifts all responsibility for his actions onto the hussy waitresses: ‘Well, I guess as long as some women are willing to wiggle around half naked, there’ll be men who go to see them!’ 

In a total swerve, the next episode is a deeply angsty episode about how sensitive Shawn is, as it’s revealed he writes poetry. (Angela: ‘I can’t believe you never told me.’ Cory: ‘I can’t believe you never told ME.’) This was apparently influenced by Rider Strong’s real life hobby; although it seems a bit of a stretch for Shawn, who up to last season was still unaware of things like punctuation (and who’s expressed a dislike of poetry from literally the first season; conflicting with this episodes claim that he’s been writing for years.)   
Cory insists he read his poems at an open mike night, and when he chickens out, reads the poems for Shawn.   
Shawn tells Cory off, saying that he wouldn’t take no for an answer and totally disregarded Shawn’s feelings. He says Cory has no idea what his poetry is about.   
Cory says he heard the poem.   
Shawn says ‘You heard it, but you didn’t listen to it. The poem you just read, do you even know who that was about?’   
Cory put his hand on his heart and says: ‘Me.’   
Shawn says it’s about Angela (to Cory’s ‘hurt’ “Well…”)   
Angela, who overheard this, is nearly in tears, and slaps Shawn.  
Cory speaks to her privately, and she wonders how he can have feelings for her, but not want to be with her.   
Shawn and Angela meet, and he tells her he misses their talking, taking at least some responsibility (‘Things just got weird. I mean, I got weird.’) before he chickens out, and tells Angela things don’t have to be awkward between them, as he wrote the poem long ago, before their split.   
The gang meet in the Union, when Topanga pegs that she bought Shawn the notebook for his last birthday (before she even knew he wrote poetry! Maybe she’s psychic…) and therefore he must have written the poem recently, and still be in love with Angela! Shawn explains that this plot needs to be contrived for several episodes longer, and therefore he now believes Angela’s moved on, even though she was practically in tears earlier about having ‘clearly moved on!’ I guess all the brain cells he used for emotional intelligence got used up in composing poetry.  
He and Cory reunite, however, with Cory asking: ‘Are we okay?’ and Shawn replying: ‘You’re my date, aren’t you?’

The plotline is delved into again with ‘Santa’s Little Helpers.’ While Cory’s happy for Shawn to third wheel (‘you’ve been the third wheel with me and Topanga so long, I think of us as a tricycle’), he’s thrilled when it turns out Topanga’s invited Angela. He goes over the top in his attempts to reunite them, and the two exit to talk.   
Angela takes the bull by the horns, and when Shawn hints ‘We’re not even sure ourselves (how we should feel)’, she admits: ‘I’m sure. I’ve always loved you. I just wanted you to be sure about what you felt.’   
Shawn says he thought he wanted freedom, but he can’t stop thinking about her, and is scared of those emotions, and claims he’s confused, doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t think he’s ‘ready’.   
Angela, fair play to her, says she opened her heart and she can’t just sit around like ‘a fool’ for the day when Shawn decides he’s ready, and ends it. 

In the following episode, there’s really nothing to cover, in that Shawn continues to sabotage himself, sulking that Angela has the temerity to date another guy after he told her he wanted them to date other people.

In episode 13, Chet returns, however, this being the season of angst, he’s swiftly killed off. You can see how the writers grow to regret this (he’s Blake Clark, for heaven’s sake!), as we see Chet’s ghost return not once, not twice, but thrice.  
It’s interesting, if only for the dynamic between Chet and Shawn (Shawn’s worried he’ll become Chet, abandoning the people he loves and failing to make relationships work) as well as Jack and Shawn (Shawn feels like he did all the Chet caretaking and that Jack, who has another father figure of his own, is kind of piggybacking onto their relationship.) but it does drag hugely, and there’s no break from the darkness as the other plots are fairly bleak (Alan and Amy’s baby is born premature! Jack turns to Rachel in his grief, and Eric isolates himself from the two of them!)

In ‘Getting Hitched’, Cory misses Shawn (when Topanga approaches him and covers his eyes, he says: ‘Oh, I’d know those hands anywhere, Shawn’, blissfully.) and when Topanga promises something to ‘cheer him up’, asks excitedly: ‘Is it Shawn?’  
Cory and Topanga’s pre-marital shenanigans are our only comedic plots, as they play ‘The Fiancee Game’ and flunk it. Topanga decides they should therefore live together. Honestly, at this point, both Cory and Topanga have almost completely devolved from their individual personalities, and are merely acting out their respective gender stereotypes, and there are lots of the kind of jokes you’d expect (Cory is scared when Topanga wears a face mask! Topanga doesn’t want sex, but Cory does!) They’re basically on this train ‘til the wedding, as Cory prays about how he wants Shawngela to reunite so ‘everybody (is) happy’, and for god to make him and Topanga ‘learn’ to be compatible; which touches Topanga enough that she confides she can’t ‘wait to spend the rest of my life’ with Cory, so she can ‘change everything about (him)’.   
Shawn meanwhile feels disconnected to everything due to his split from Angela, father’s death, and naturally his eternal bugbear: ‘Cory and Topanga together all the time’. (Corpanga, with their usual tact, have taken this moment to eject Shawn from his and Cory’s room.)   
Cory tries to tempt Shawn back to return and ‘talk’, however, Shawn instantly asks: ‘You and Topanga aren’t living together anymore?’   
Cory answers: ‘Yeah…I love her, and we have our whole lives together.’   
Jesus, Matthews! Like, I don’t think because Shawn’s father passed away that everyone has to step around him, but this seems almost wilfully insensitive, especially as the conversation is in the context of how worried Cory is about Shawn’s mental state (‘I mean, um, you don’t want to be hanging around in this trailer.’)   
Shawn decides he needs to break away for a while, and asks Cory to come with him for the weekend; however, his insistence on saying goodbye to Topanga (Cory’s reaction: ‘We’re going away for the weekend. I’m not even saying goodbye to her.’) suggests his plans may extend beyond then. 

In ‘Road Trip’, Cory is wearing Shawn’s (fugly) driving bandanna, as they visit a trucker diner. There’s this ridiculous plot where they meet some girlband who Want to Make It In The Big City, but their dad has forbidden them, so Cory and Shawn as the nearest penis-possessors must talk him round; that somehow ends up with Shawn calling Cory his ‘Daddy.’   
We learn that Chet used to frequent the diner and share his tall tales (there’s a cute bit where one of the truckers is like ‘Hey, how’s medical school?’) about Shawn and Cory (‘the kid Shawn’s always getting out of them scrapes.’)   
Shawn attempts to ‘break up’ with Cory (‘Are you breaking up with me in a public place because you think I won’t make a scene?’ ‘No, I know you’ll make a scene.’) and get his blessing (‘Oh, you are sick, sir. So this was a fling. I feel cheap.’) and Cory eventually backs down, promising to come if Shawn ever needs him.

‘My Baby Valentine’ mainly focuses on Amy’s shower for the upcoming Matthews collaboration; but has a cute fake-out, where Cory intones into the phone: ‘This is our first Valentine’s day since we broke up, and very possibly the last one before we’re married. I want this Valentine’s day to set the stage for every Valentine’s day we share for the rest of our lives. Hey. I’m even wearing my red turtleneck for the romantic carriage ride. So, what are you wearing?’ and we pull back to see Shawn at a truck stop. He’s surrounded by cowboys and refuses to admit he misses Cory; but the cowboys are clearly also gay and trade chocolates; giving him the courage to smile and wish Cory a Happy Valentine’s Day. 

The baby comes early, and while it’s really hard to take seriously as a plot point (I don’t think anyone who’s ever watched TV thought there was the slightest risk of him dying), it’s sure revealing into of all people, Topanga, this episode.  
Cory’s been wildly self-centred in the last few episodes, fixating on himself and Topanga over everything else (‘What’s more important than you and me, besides me?’), including his mother’s at-risk pregnancy. Here we see it’s a defence mechanism of sorts, as his way of avoiding reality. The baby’s health is struggling, and Cory refuses to acknowledge this, instead insisting that Topanga can make everything better and complaining that she’s ‘not Topanga anymore’ aka her S1 self.   
(Ugh, this is so stupid on so many levels. For starters, the whole structure requires that we not just accept the retro-continuity that back then, Cory and Topanga were not, as they’re shown in the actual S1, school buddies/kinda-maybe-one-day-like-each-other, but in actual fact already dating from birth, but also that the moment in which Topanga writes lipstick on her face is, not a cute scene, as it’s delivered and played on screen, but in fact The Moment Cory Fell In Love With Topanga – despite already being in love with her?!) Secondly, we’re asked to believe Cory remembers everything Topanga’s said to him for decades, when we’ve seen from the show, he can barely bring himself to attend her birthday or pay attention when she’s speaking. And thirdly, we’re asked to believe that Cory not just loves Topanga in all her phases or whatever, but also that he, the biggest conformist in the world, actively prefers her as a hippie who scorns the traditional mindset the pair of them now ruthlessly pursue.)   
Topanga talks to Angela who apparently agrees with Cory, and thinks Cory needs to be sheltered from reality forever. (I guess she’s aware, like the audience, that the baby’s recovery is a foregone conclusion.)   
The plot resolves itself almost purposefully showing Cory and Topanga’s relationship as secondary to Cory’s and Shawn’s. Topanga intones: ‘Cory, this is bad. There isn’t anyone who can make it better.’ To which an elevator opens, revealing Shawn.  
Topanga begs Shawn to get through to Cory ‘you’re his best friend, he’ll listen to you’, and Shawn tells Cory everything will be alright. There’s rigamorale of him talking to the baby and deciding to stick around, etc. but that’s pretty much it – Shawn makes everything better.   
It’s funny, because on a realistic level, Topanga’s correct (similar to the pig issue in S3 – she was wrong in how she pursued it, but Shawn couldn’t literally raise a pig in an apartment, hence why the pig is almost never actually shown onscreen.) but in terms of the fictional TV show (which Shawn is often presented as being the only to recognise the fourth wall: ‘What the hell kind of TV show is this?’) she’s proved as wrong, there is a person who can make things better for Cory. It just isn’t her. 

There's a couple of filler episodes involving Cory and the gang checking out wedding, which provoked another mini-edit from me when he tells Topanga the important thing about a wedding is 'who you're standing next to':

As well as Cory and Shawn reigniting their old pranking hobby in order to get, while also reigniting Shawn's nickname for Cory: 'I like it when you call me "babe".'

A retread of S5’s ‘Honesty Night’, ‘The Truth About Honesty’ is mainly more couple humour.   
Topanga claims to want a relationship of total honesty with Cory, despite knowing what an absolute dunderhead he’s grown into; and they bicker about him not liking chick flicks, her latest hairstyle or her using his razor to shave her legs (it’s cutting edge stuff, people!)   
They bicker about Real Shit momentarily, when Cory says he would change Topanga’s need to be perfect all the time; and Topanga immediately whips back: ‘I gave up Tale for you!’   
Cory dares say the unsayable (aka maybe the time apart would have been good for them) and Topanga says ‘Maybe we wouldn’t be engaged?’   
Cory and Topanga always have this involved, deep fights about real incompatibilities in their relationship that always resolve in ridiculous ways, and this episode is no exception, where Topanga’s resentment about sacrificing Yale and Cory’s resentment about Topanga’s entire personality and needing ‘some imaginary, perfect relationship’ ends with…them agreeing that Topanga will show her ass to Cory in exchange for razor rights.   
Meanwhile, Shawn and Angela are dared to reunite, but Shawn can’t do so without an ‘emotional commitment’ (which he worries is down to Cory and Topanga’s influence: ‘I Coried this up, didn’t it? Oh my God, I’m both of them!’), while Cory spends half the evening fixated at the idea their sex may go unwitnessed by him (‘Why are you going to do something very strange in a bedroom when I have absolutely nothing to do with it?’) 

Ignoring the actual season finale, which in the grand tradition of BMW is actually kind of dry, focusing on Feeny and the Dean's marriage; the penultimate episode of this season is easily one of the gayest ever: 'The Psychotic Episode' (which also has a pretty witty B-plot in which Eric moves in with a Psycho-inspired room-mate.)   
We begin inside Cory’s dream, as Rachel thanks them for reuniting her, Eric and Jack and ‘settle their differences’. She then kisses Eric and Jack on the cheek, suggesting Cory’s subconscious sees the best way to resolve that love triangle is with a happy threesome. Shawn and Cory are proud of themselves: ‘Cory and Shawn forever!’, however, when they shake hands to congratulate themselves, Cory instead glares at Shawn, before pushing him down an empty elevator shaft.  
Cory wakes up screaming from his dream, and Shawn’s alarmed. Cor tells him he’ll be okay, and guiltily offers: ‘Shawn? You’re my best friend.’ The next day he’s exhausted, as he’s been avoiding sleep, lest he have the same dream. However, he falls asleep in class, and dreams he’s choking Shawn (with the rope from a magic kit, lol), followed by a dream in which he beats Shawn with a bat engraved ‘Cory’. When he wakes up, he’s embarrassed, as is Shawn (‘my best friend screams that he wants to kill me in front of the class, what’s to explain?’) and he explains that the dreams have been [recurring](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138108133738/freud-says-that-dreams-come-from-our-subconscious): ‘Well, I fed you thumbtack soup, I poured hot lava down your pants, I pulled your heart out with salad tongs, I set fire to your tie, I shredded you over pasta with a cheese grater, I dressed you up as a rooster and entered you in a cock fight!’  
Shawn himself is staid about it all, telling Cory to get some sleep, but Cory is distraught enough to seek help from Feeny (as well as his counterpart, Dream!Feeny!), who states that: ‘You mustn’t take dreams literally, they can be interpreted many ways.’  
Cory asks why he’s killing Shawn, and Feeny answers: ‘Freud says that dreams come from our unconscious. Repressed thoughts that have to be confronted,’ explaining that the dream about the elevator shaft ‘represents the ups and downs of your friendship with Mr. Hunter.’ Yeah, pushing him down your shaft represents something else in Freudianism.   
Feeny urges Cory to finish the dream, and it turns out Shawn’s death is just the beginning, with Cory going on to kill off all his friends, before Lauren appears. Cory is mystified: ‘But I’m over you’, but she explains: ‘I’m not Lauren. I’m everything you’re giving up. The girls you’ll never met, the places you’ll never go. The life you’ll never have. Goodbye Cory.’ She, too, drops into the shaft, to Cory’s ‘Wait!’ before Topanga enters in her wedding dress. Cory explains he killed everyone ‘For us.’ Topanga answers ‘I know,’ and they look sadly down the elevator, agreeing they miss the others, before Topanga says: ‘You can wake up now.’   
Cory wakes to Topanga and Shawn watching him. Topanga asks him what he dreamt of, and he says: ‘You,’ reassuring her he’s okay. She exits, and Shawn instantly recognises the lie: ‘You’re not okay, are you?’  
Cory wonders ‘Maybe I’m rushing into marriage.’   
Shawn jokes ‘You’ve been rushing into marriage since you were two years old.’  
Cory asks: ‘Nothing’s going to change between us, is it?’ and Shawn licks his lips, asking in a low tone: ‘Is that what you’ve been dreaming about?’   
Cory confesses he’s afraid that after he gets marriage, ‘everything’s gonna change’, and Shawn agrees that ‘it will. It has to.’ Cory concludes: ‘I don’t want it to.’


	8. season 7

**S7 Go talk to the person you love. That would be Shawn.**

Season 7 begins with a two-parter covering the basic ground (Topanga’s parents have divorced, shaking her trust in love; while Shawn wants Angela back.)   
It’s kind of lazy as a concept (we’re expected to believe Cory, Shawn, Topanga and Angela didn’t see each other once over the school break?!) and while in theory it would be great to get more development of Topanga; in practice, it’s hard to take seriously.   
Topanga’s family are recast and renamed literally from episode to episode (three different actors have played her father!), they were non-figures in her life since S4, and now we learn that not only does Topanga suddenly ape them to the extent that their divorce causes her to end her own engagement; but also that Angela would inexplicably decide the same.   
Like, we get Cory and Shawn’s comedic assessment of the two where they patronise the girls’ and their decisions (‘She’s just saying that because your hair looks better than hers!’ ‘She tells Angela, Angela says, you know what, I love Shawn, too.’) but they actually seem to be correct. With these plots combined with Morgan’s C-plot (Alan forbids her to wear shorts on a date), and Cory bemoaning Mr. Lawrence’s single status as his shirts are ‘un-ironed’; it’s a bad look.   
Shawn semi-negs Angela, telling her he doesn’t want to be friends, and that he can ‘hate you or love you for the rest of my life…(but) I hate as good as I love’, and recalling how he tried to touch her hand three times and three times she moved away as: ‘You know you liked it!’  
Cory and Shawn decide to reunite Topanga’s parents. While Shawn’s unconvinced, Cory’s sure of himself (‘Don’t what? Don’t be the only one of us that knows the four of us should be together?’ ‘Shawnie, do you honestly believe there is something the two of us can’t do?’) christening the girls ‘Topangela’ in order to save time.   
However, their efforts fail, as Mr. Lawrence has found someone new. The only really interesting part is when Topanga shoves Cory and angrily asks him if he went to fix everything: ‘Is that what you did, Superman?’ and Shawn tells her: ‘Knock it off! Look, Cory travelled a hundred miles and found your parents to try to put them back together for you. For you! And he was brilliant…He made some unbelievable moves. …He was good, Topanga. You were good.’ However, this just reminds us that we’ve already had this plotline with Cory travelling to find _Shawn_ ’s parents and reunite them.

The Angela/Shawn plotline is dealt with before the inevitable Corpanga reunion, surprisingly.   
In ‘Angela’s Men’, we begin with Shawn on Angela’s doorstep, intent on winning her back. This is a hugely irritating episode, as it completely reinvents the Angela/Shawn relationship, placing her as the withholding deserter to Shawn’s joky martyr (‘Human doormat – that about explains the relationship!’)   
We meet Angela’s father, a sergeant in the army; and again, while it would be amazing to get some backstory on Angela, who’s gone woefully undeveloped for the last two seasons; the episode (and the one completing the arc at the season’s end, ‘Angela’s Ashes’) mainly focuses on the perspectives of Sgt. Moore and Shawn.   
Sgt Moore apparently knows Shawn left Angela at some point, and at one point calls him ‘punk who broke my baby’s heart’ (Cory laughs, saying: ‘That’s not the whole story, there’, reflecting that he has the same perspective Shawn has to Corpanga’s arguments: his buddy is totally innocent) but generally has a fairly traditional approach to gender (Angela even uses a baby voice when he’s around), and seeks out Feeny, Cory and Shawn, taking their word as total strangers over his own daughter (despite Feeny centring their relationship around Shawn alone, not speaking about Angela or how their relationship affects her; but about how Shawn seems ‘happiest around her’), disregards every boundary she sets (‘I don’t want to talk about this in front of Shawn!’), and looks for reasons to blame her for the break-up (saying they had a good relationship ‘until she ran away.’)   
In all seriousness, Shawn’s probably my favourite character on the show, but it is undeniable that almost every character in this episode is there to lampshade to the audience how we’re supposed to find Shawn sweet (Rachel calls him ‘adorable’, Sgt. Moore asks if he’s trying to be ‘cute’, Topanga says you have to ‘admire his persistence’), and Angela as mean (‘Welcome to the Angela doghouse, sir!’ or ‘See how she treats me?’), with the reason they broke up in the first place (Shawn dumping Angela twice) being totally erased.   
Shawn is notably not particularly apologetic, his pursuing her is treated comically, but we’re given to understand this split is down to Angela’s copying Topanga (‘It’s because of that Topanga!’) and withdrawing from love because of her own parent’s failed marriage (it’s also a total retread of not only Topanga’s plot the very episode before, but also Shawn’s own reason for not reconciling with her in the latter parts of S6 – aka he worries he’ll hurt and reject the people he loves, like Chet did to him; although both of those are treated more sympathetically.) 

Topanga and Cory reconcile in the next episode, inspired by Shawn and Angela’s reunion (‘I wanna be like them!’ ‘You wanna make out til we realize we hate each other some day?’) This episode, again, has some dodgy gender connotations (Cory lunges at Topanga to kiss her after she’s repeatedly refused; at which point she shoves him and instantly apologises; which the shows treats as unforgiveable, with Cory concluding: ‘That’s it, Topanga. I’ve had it with you.’) and has a fairly stupid overall plot (Cory decides to be the college’s athletics mascots, despite his overall incompetence at everything; Topanga rejects him until another girl shows interest, at which point she decides to reconcile.) She visits her mom, who insists that she and Topanga still love her father, despite his cheating; and explains that she would still have married him, knowing their relationship would fail (‘I may not be a wife anymore, but I’m your mother!’) and basically double dog dares Topanga to marry Cory in the hope she can…idk, plant some seeds before she throws away the envelope. Cory and Topanga do their bit where they ignore each other (‘I want to be your wife.’ ‘So I guess you and I are officially over.’) and then make-out, bringing this torturous premise to an end.   
(It’s also a little contrived that Cory’s fears about marriage went from so consuming he couldn’t sleep to…non-existent in time for Topanga’s similar, but much less textually sympathetic doubts.) 

The first third of this season continues to reek, as there’s a thankless plot in which a) Cory and Shawn are apparently body-swapped with 13 year old boys, as they eat Rachel’s food, go through her underwear drawer, and read her diary; b) Topanga and Angela lose all previously established characterisation altogether and inexplicably find this adorable; and c) Rachel gets sexualised for the nth time. The only grace note is Cory and Shawn continuing to literally feed each other. 

The wedding episode is interestingly placed mid-season, and veers Cory and Shawn’s relationship from the subtextual to the all-but canonical. Shawn is irritated with Cory’s constant demands upon him as the best man (‘I don’t know what I ever saw in him!’); mystifying Angela (‘Um, Shawn, what is really bothering you?’) and Topanga (‘How can there be anything wrong with you and Cory? You love him more than I do.’ At this, her mother looks stunned, to which Topanga adds: ‘It’s true, but I’m okay with it.’)   
Shawn complains that their entire friendship has always centred around Cory’s feelings; and when Angela presses further, he admits: ‘You’d think on his wedding day he’d realise how hard this is for me’, storming out on her.   
He tries to talk to Cory about it (‘Cory, has it occurred to you even a little bit that as far as you and me go, today is the last day that we’re ever gonna be… Cory and Shawn? You know? Shawn and Cory?’) but Cory is dismissive, leading Shawn to quit as best man; and an overjoyed Eric takes the role.  
Cory and Topanga continue to talk past each other (‘What’re you thinking?’ ‘I can’t believe Shawn’s not here.’ ‘I love you, too!’); however, Shawn arrives with the rings (‘I knew you’d come!’ ‘I wouldn’t miss this, Cor.’) When Cory apologises, Shawn takes it with hilariously bad grace (‘Well, you should be.’) They continue to bicker, with Cory suggesting that ‘It’s like you’re trying to sabotage my wedding day!’ They shove each other, before Jed and Alan separate them, as Shawn says: ‘He doesn’t care that we’re not gonna be friends anymore!’ Cory admits he’s purposefully been avoiding the issue (‘Why do you think I’ve been sending you everywhere?’) but Shawn insists they have to talk about it. Shawn, almost in tears, says that ‘After you get married, things are gonna be different. And I don’t have a lot of friends, you know?’ Cory asks what Shawn wants him to do, and Shawn meekly asks: ‘Do you really like her?’ Cory nods ‘Yeah, I really do.’ Shawn checks: ‘You sure?’ to which Topanga interjects: ‘Shawn, I really think I’ve been very tolerant.’ Shawn ‘sadly’ gives them his blessing: ‘Yeah, well, we gotta grow up sometime’, but when they take their vows, Cory has his arm around him.  
At the reception, Shawn toasts Topanga, ‘Cory’s wife…and new best friend. Take care of him, okay?’ and Topanga tearfully hugs him. 

There’s an episode set on Cory and Topanga’s honeymoon (naturally his first experience of sex is punctuated: ‘This is so great! I wish Shawn was here!’); which trivia fans will appreciate, Rider Strong shared by cast and crew’s consensus, it was the worst episode of the show’s run. 

Cory and Topanga return from their honeymoon to find Shawn and Angela occupying the apartment. However, they’re swiftly ejected when they act like infants (clad in all-in-one pyjamas and demanding ‘spaghetti!’)   
It turns out they’ve made no consideration of where they’re going to live, and both expect the other to do the work (‘Get me a place!’ ‘Topanga, calm down. We’re gonna find you a place to live…I never asked to be the man in this relationship.’) Alan gives them a well-deserved ticking off, and they stay in a rough-looking dorm for married couples. It’s pretty formulaic (we end on Cory learning how to fix a sink, while Topanga learns how to calm down a crying baby); however, from a Cory/Shawn perspective, it’s interesting: we hear the first of their very self-conscious references to their friendship being altered by Cory’s marriage (‘I wanna help.’ ‘Thanks, but I don’t think you can on this one.’ ‘Of course I can, I’m your friend.’ ‘Yeah, but I’m her husband.’)   
Shawn at one point, ticks off Cory for not having pride in his new apartment, or making an effort to improve it, saying ‘Cory, come on. This is exactly the kind of place we’ve always said we wanted to live in.’ At Cory’s ‘I’m married now’, Topanga interjects: ‘If you two want to live here, you can go ahead!’ Shawn then goes into a [ lovely gender non-specific fantasy ](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/137946565333/you-wanna-live-in-a-nice-place-youre-gonna-have) about envisioning room-mates ‘drinking coffee and reading the paper….lying next to one another on the floor.’  
However, while he and Angela have the apartment to themselves to enjoy, Shawn can’t bring himself to. When Angela asks if he’s happy, he replies: ‘I’m as happy as I’m gonna get…We don’t deserve this, Angela. Not yet. This came easy for us, we didn’t work at it. It’s easy to be happy about this, but what if we were on our own and other people weren’t helping us pay the rent?’  
This is very in-character of Shawn (although it, again, doesn’t firm faith in his commitment to Angela,) although it seems silly to pity Cory and Topanga in comparison to himself and Angela (who have been pretty much abandoned by their parental figures, and who are dorm students and therefore entirely entitled to the apartment they’re staying in.) Angela realises Shawn’s ‘jealous’ of Cory and Topanga and their ‘stinkhole.’ Shawn vows he’ll protect and hold onto their relationship; but when Angela asks why he can’t just ‘be happy’; Shawn rather tellingly says: ‘Because this isn’t real. It’s not like Cory and Topanga, you and I, we’re just playing house.’   
Basically Shawn is always going to blame his dissatisfaction with his relationship on him and Angela not being Cory and Topanga (to be fair, Angela knew that going in, since that’s how they started.) I wonder if this is the influence of Disney/ABC not wanting to show a couple co-habiting in the long-term without being married; but on a Watsonian level, it does appear as if Shawn’s making excuses not to live with Angela (whether consciously or unconsciously.) 

There’s another drag episode, notable only for Shawn’s flirting with Eric/Chantal (apparently producers avoided scenes with Rider Strong and Will Friedle, as the latter made the former laugh so hard, it slowed up scenes), fixing her dress: ‘How do I look, babe?’ ‘Enchante!’ 

‘Family Trees’ is the last Shawn!angst episode of the original run. Arguable whether it’s really dramatically necessary; but it’s probably the best acted and written of the bunch. Shawn receives a letter from his mom, Virna, telling him she’s not his biological mother. By this stage in the show, characterisation is so well-established (at least with the C/S pairing, the least said about Eric’s subplot, the better), we instantly recognise Shawn’s pattern of self-destruction (‘(He’s gonna do) something that’ll devastate himself as well as everyone around him’) as well as why Cory is so seemingly unsupportive (‘You think Elaine’s where I got my poetry thing, Cor?’ ‘No… I don’t want you to expect anything.’) Cory urges Shawn to tear up the letter, saying he has a ‘beautiful, honest, sweet, loving woman that loves you’ (Angela begins: ‘Well, thanks’, to Cory’s ‘Shut up!’) However, Shawn goes on to read it, and research who his mother might be. His efforts are fruitless, and he’s visibly upset, despite claims to the opposite.   
At Alan’s birthday party that evening, Shawn arrives, drunk. Jack and Cory try to calm him down, but he rejects their attempts, and talks about how he’s an orphan, leaving Alan to tell him he wants Shawn to be part of the Matthews family.   
Shawn exits, bumping into Angela (echoes of the wedding episode, in which he’s shot doing the exact same thing with almost identical blocking.) We see him giving change to a street Santa, who he mistakes for Cory following him.   
‘Well, it’s Cory to the rescue. Old faithful. Why don’t you go home to your wife and leave me alone? …Wow, he really didn’t follow me, huh? A guy gets married, and that’s the end of me.’   
The Santa steps aside to reveal Cory: ‘I’m here.’   
Shawn smiles: ‘I knew you would be.’   
They visit Chet’s grave, where we see the second of his appearances as a ghost (tbh, this have a diminishing return – not only does Blake Clark have different haircuts from episode to episode, and has apparently aged 15 ghost-years by Girl Meets World; but we also see him deliver new information, which seems mad lazy.) Chet confesses that Virna stayed around for Shawn and loved him; but that his real mom was a nameless ‘stripper’. TBH, it’s pretty unnecessary on all levels, and mainly seems to be an attempt to shift blame from Chet to Virna/Stripper Mom, ahead of the resolution of the Shawn/Angela relationship which also features the woman leaving, despite Angela’s promise here that she ‘never’ will. (Chet bemoans that ‘women…kicked (my) butt around pretty good during my life’ seems an ill-advised line from a guy who literally physically abused at least one of his wives.) There’s a little bit of foreshadowing for this, arguably, when Shawn confides he has ‘someone who loves me’, and Chet tells him to hold on to her. Shawn says: ‘I will. Just like I’m holding onto you.’ However, his holding onto Chet’s memory doesn’t alter the facts of Chet’s death anymore than his clinging onto Angela can keep her in his life.   
The end resolves with Shawn saying he needs to reconcile with the Hunters (another dropped subplot, unfortunately, the last we see of Shawn/Jack’s relationship prior to the finale are jokes about how they’d rather shoot themselves than spend a day together.) 

‘The Provider’ explores Cory/Topanga with regards to Cory’s envy over Topanga’s achievements.   
Once more, it’s a retread of an episode in which we’ve already explored the same issue with Cory/Shawn (in this case, the S5 episode ‘How to Succeed in Business’, in which Shawn eclipses Cory on their work placement.) I’ll be fair and say this one is probably a better episode, although like most Cory/Topanga episodes, it provokes more questions than it answers.   
Cory gets a job (‘You’ll never guess.’ Shawn greets this with an almost wary: ‘Topanga’s pregnant?’ Cory wonders, distracted: ‘She is? Why’d she tell you and not me? Are you the father of my child?’)   
Cory tells Shawn it’s his job as ‘lord of his castle’ to provide and Topanga’s to be his ‘grateful French chambermaid.’ Shawn asks if he’s said that to Topanga, and Cory argues the beauty of marriage is ‘Nobody has to know nothin’.’  
Topanga enters, saying she also has news (‘Me first?’ Cory: ‘Like always.’) – she also got a job, after she started talking to a fashion magazine editor, who offered her a job as an assistant. Cory’s unenthused. Topanga encourages him to tell her about his role, and is supportive (‘So I call the number.’ ‘That’s great, that shows initiative.’) until it’s revealed to be selling magazine subscriptions on the telephone. Shawn coaches her (At her disappointed: ‘Oh’, he suggests: ‘Try again.’)   
Cracks appear when Topanga tries out Cory’s headset briefly, and effortlessly outsells him on her first call, sharing that she’s been promoted (this season is completely confusing as to what anyone’s actual time commitments with regards to education are: Topanga is apparently pre-law, in her second year of university, but is holding down a full-time office job; while Cory and Shawn apparently abandon their own degrees at Pennbrook at the end of the season in order to follow her to NYU.) She also completes his solitaire game for him, which seems annoying even for her (the clue’s in the name!)  
Cory reveals he quit the magazine selling as unlike her, he doesn’t shine at everything. Topanga offers to fuck the pain away (‘Is there anything I can do to cheer you up? Topanga know what Cory like…Want to go home and have pooky-pook?’) but apparently, she’s also better at sex than him.   
(For some reason, everyone in this episode pretends as if this is Corpanga’s first ever fight. It’s bizarre, like, I’d get it if it were just Rachel, who’s known them the least amount of time; or Corpanga themselves who cling to their own mythologizing of their relationship; or if they just said ‘Oh, it’s their first fight after the wedding!’; but nope, apparently this is the first time they’ve ever argued. Okay!)  
Topanga asks Cory to talk to her, and Cory says ‘I don’t want to say anything I’m gonna regret’. They take digs at each other (‘Whatever bug you have up your butt, why are you blaming it on me?’ ‘If you’re as smart as your A-streak says, you know just to leave me alone right now’) and Cory tells Topanga she shoves her ‘stupid grades’ and successes in his face, to which Topanga corrects his grammar. Shawn and Angela try to intervene, but are told to sit down and shut up by Corpanga, who eventually implode, as Topanga calls Cory inept and imbecilic, and Cory blames this on her ‘killing his spirit.’   
It’s difficult to sympathise with either, although this is where the structuring of Cory as ‘average’ boy becomes least sympathetic, as it comes with it a lot of baggage (what defines the average kid in TVland? Your white, middle-class, able-bodied, heterosexual male.) We know from previous episodes with Shawn that Cory’s not above taunting Shawn about his poverty (‘Trailer trash!’) or assuming he’ll succeed in life over Shawn because of the advantages his own background has given. Here, it’s similarly difficult for a viewer to sympathise with Cory’s disappointment (despite no-one outside of fiction being able to truly emphasise with the level of impossible success Topanga enjoys), because he assumes because of his gender that he will rule while Topanga will ‘gratefully’ receive.   
Topanga exits in tears, and Shawn comforts Cory, telling him: ‘Don’t figure it out with me, those days are long gone.’   
Cory goes home, and reveals that he feels inferior to Topanga. Topanga guiltily agrees: ‘I’ve killed your spirit. I’ve caused you pain.’ She tells him ‘Everything I ever did was trying to impress you.’ At Cory’s: ‘Really?’ She says: ‘No…Sometimes…Sometimes for me. Mostly for me. Twice for you. A lot for you’ claiming that she always knew Cory was ‘worth’ it, as he had faith in their relationship.   
Cory finally says he doesn’t want Topanga to hold herself back because of him. Topanga says they shouldn’t be afraid to fight, to which Cory replies: ‘But I’m scared of you.’ They resolve that together they’re a team, and Cory sells a magazine due to his ‘persistence’ (or inability to take no for an answer, your call!)

The next episode is primarily Eric-centric, however, in the B-plot, Cory develops hypochondria after a magazine quiz tells him he’ll be first to die. There’s apparent trouble in paradise for Corpanga sexually (‘Do you ever have difficulty performing in bed?’ Topanga chuckles mockingly: ‘Yes.’) and Cory apparently won’t let Topanga touch him somewhere (‘No, not there! I might get cancer!’) Topanga ducks his paranoia, escaping to the movies with Shawn and Angela (who in comparison, are licking food off each other’s teeth)  
He visits the doctor (‘You’re very sensitive about all this, aren’t you? …Are you gay?’) and when he announces his placebo course, we once again see the conflict between Topanga and Shawn’s approach: Topanga doesn’t think she should enable Cory’s faking illness to get attention; whereas Shawn thinks if he’s acting out for attention: ‘Why don’t you just give it to him!’ and while Topanga’s technically right, it’s once again, Shawn’s view that the show reinforces (the script even points out ‘Topanga…knowing she’s wrong…’) Topanga stays in with Cory, who admits he ‘just wan(ts) to know…we’ll always take care of each other’, and admits to feeling better once Topanga says she prefers being with him to the movies. 

The two parter (‘The War’ and ‘Seven the Hard Way’) in which the gang all fight begins with Corpanga and Shawngela in the dorms. While Shawn and Angela make out, Cory and Topanga read separately. Shawn, rather immaturely, interrupts his own kiss to ask: ‘Hey, how come you guys aren’t going at it?’   
Rachel enters, pissed that someone ripped off her parking spot. (This episode is pretty strong as far as joke distribution, if you ever recall a line of Rachel’s, Jack’s or Angela’s, it’s undoubtedly from this one.)   
The culprit was of course, Shawn, and Rachel kicks him and Cory out of the dorm. At Cory’s ‘Wifey! We’re leaving. Walk behind me.’, Topanga decides to stay, and the boys vow revenge: ‘You are gonna be sorry, homewrecker!’   
A prank war ensues, with sides forming (Topanga joins Cory and Shawn; while roomies Angela and Rachel stick together. The teams fight over Jack, with him choosing Rachel, but no one wants Eric.)   
Shawn gets super camp: ‘Oh, honey, please!’ and at Angela spilling water on his crotch, declares: ‘Your loss!’  
However, Shit Gets Real when Cory and Shawn pull a prank on Rachel, posting a photo of her barely dressed in the student lounge.   
They don’t inform Topanga, who feels excluded from their team (‘It was a nice toast at the wedding, Shawn…Cory and Topanga are best friends. Not Shawn. I thought we were a team.’); while Jack and Angela are pissed at Shawn for using his relationship with them to get access for the prank (‘You betrayed my trust for a sick joke?’) The whole group fall apart, with only Cory and Shawn still on speaking terms (‘Are you still talking to me?’ ‘Shut up.’) 

‘Seven the Hard Way’ begins with Feeny and Eric trying to reunite the group. Basically, everyone else is making Shawn and Cory’s homoerotic bond for the epitome of friendship. (In all seriousness, this is kind of the root of the issue. Angela, Jack and Rachel feel as if they’re ‘newcomers’ to the Cory/Shawn/Topanga circle; while Topanga herself feels excluded from said circle.) Cory and Shawn exacerbate the issue by refusing to take it seriously (‘Will ya pipe down with that, please?’ ‘Boohoo to the both of yas, we’re not friends today, I’ll see you tomorrow!’) in part because it’s an overarching pattern to every relationship they’ve ever had (not just their closeness causing romantic relationships they’ve had to either end or else become damaged – as we see from Topanga’s attitude here; but also the effect upon their familial relationships: both Eric and Jack express a desire to have better fraternal relationships, and both mention that they struggle with this due in part to Cory/Shawn’s very tight-knit friendship), and they’re very keen not to force changes there.   
Topanga sneeringly calls Shawn Cory’s ‘boyfriend’, while Shawn, putting his hand on Cory’s shoulder tells him: ‘Remember what I told you, stand up to her.’ (Oooh. You know it’s serious when Shawn lets the mask drop and isn’t counselling Corpanga to make up.)   
Topanga shouts: ‘Unbelievable. Everybody is coming apart and they get closer? I am your wife, nimrod!’   
Cory imitates her, saying ‘Do you know what it’s like to have that voice in your head all day long? No wonder I turn to him.’   
Topanga says: ‘Look at him side with Shawn. His lovah!’  
Cory replies: ‘Oh, very tasteful, honey. Did you hear that, Shawn?’ and Shawn unleashes: ‘Shut up, Yoko!’   
Rachel exits, and the group outside of Eric refuse to make any further efforts, leaving also. On the way out, Shawn pursues Angela, who tells him she wants to be left alone. Cory offers: ‘You can talk with us if I want’, but Topanga thinks it’s important for them to talk alone. Cory asks if it will her ‘versus Shawn for the rest of our lives?’ and Topanga asks: ‘Why don’t you tell me?’  
Cory asks Shawn to ‘get back to you’ (albeit not in a wildly flattering way to Topanga: ‘She’s my wife, and there’s a lot of good that comes with that. I’m hoping…I just want peace for one freakin’ second.’) Shawn asks if he’s going to let ‘her come between the greatest friendship of all time’, but when Cory asks for some ‘time’, Shawn storms off: ‘Okay. Take all the time you want.’  
We then cut to seven years later. It’s an interesting concept. Basically, without the groups friendship, Shawn and Angela are professionally successful journalists, but single and lonely; Jack has returned to his corporate roots and is a rabid capitalist; Eric has lost the plot and is some kind of wiseman/shaman figure; Rachel returned to Texas and her ex; and Corpanga are an accountant (?!) and lawyer-turned-homemaker in Connecticut (?!)   
It’s honestly oddly played out. Topanga and Cory are clearly at odds with each other (‘I may never go back to work!’ ‘Oh, she’s going back!’ ‘Our marriage counsellor says we’re doing fine!’) and look so overly heterosexual they go all the way into camp (seriously, the costumes look like they’re in ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’, Topanga’s in all pink, with Cory in a blue tie.) It’s almost a radical thesis for this show, suggesting that all the babies and marriage in the world hasn’t brought these two happiness. (It also completely conflicts with Girl Meets World, which suggests Cory and Topanga thrived without seeing Shawn, Eric, Angela, Jack, or Rachel in over a decade.)  
Meanwhile, Shawn (dressed like Banky Edwards in ‘Chasing Amy’) seems half-out of the closet (the ever tactful Feeny confines himself to: ‘Is there anybody special in your life?’) which Shawn follows up with a faux-casual: ‘Have you seen Cory Matthews? Are he and Topanga doing alright?’ Feeny brings up Cory and Topanga’s baby, to which Shawn asks: ‘You’re the father?’ Topanga and Angela approach, and she and Shawn catch up (‘…Did you ever get married or anything?’) She exits, gazing at him, and Corpanga talk about how they have so much in common (Rider Strong gets the worst line of the episode by far with: ‘She wrote a beautiful piece on *dramatic pause* Costa Rican rainforest’ – the resurrection of Angela’s long-neglected conservation interest!) Cory asks why Shawn didn’t tell her how much he admired her article, and Shawn bats this back to another lost romantic chance: ‘I don’t know. Why haven’t you and I spoken in seven years?’ following up with a quiet: ‘You guys happy?’   
Topanga and Cory seem sincere when they agree they are (I guess nothing turns those two on like a performance to an audience?) Shawn asks if they have ‘Good friends’, which they claim to have (…really?), while Shawn claims to be Forever Alone: ‘It’s tough, with all the travelling I do.’   
Jack and Shawn fail to reconnect, while Eric has hidden from society. Rachel has inexplicably a Texas accent, despite not having one at the start of the show. Eric has a manifesto: ‘Lose one friends. Lose all friends. Lose yourself.’   
We return to the present time, where Eric body pins Rachel to the ground to stop her leaving, and reads his manifesto. The group worry this could be the last time they’re all together, and Angela, classily, makes the first move, hugging Rachel. Jack joins in, as does Topanga, who says ‘It’s always gonna be Cory and Shawn, I give up’ (in a relatively cheerful tone). Shawn tells her not to give up, saying he’s ‘just’ Cory’s best friend, and he should be with his wife ‘all the time’. Topanga looks frankly put off at the concept of 24/7 Cory, and hugs Shawn, telling him he’s ‘very important to my life.’ Cory enters the hug: ‘Got room for me?’ Shawn and Topanga have the perfect spot: ‘Right between me and the wife.’ (Forever!) 

‘She’s Having My Baby Back Ribs’ is a fairly strong episode, uniting the comical pairing of Eric/Topanga we haven’t seen since the first season.   
Cory and Shawn reminisce happily about how Cory tells Shawn ‘Every. Wonderful. Day’ about his sex life, before sharing Corpanga’s marital bed to enjoy ‘fabulous’ [waffles](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/137835649528/givemebackmybucky-tfw-youre-stretched-out-on) (‘I know what you’re saying, Shawn. You want seconds.’)   
Eric and Topanga are dieting, however, this is mistaken for Topanga being pregnant (despite the two being so careful Cory’s ‘not even sure they had sex.’ Cory angsts over not being ready for fatherhood, however, after a talk with his parents, his mother counsels him: ‘Go talk to the person you love.’ Cory answers: ‘That would be Shawn’. 

In ‘How Cory and Topanga Got Their Groove Back’, the eponymous pair appear to be in a rut (a plot so fresh, it was reused from four seasons ago!), staying in to watch TV rather than going out with their friends as invited. Topanga’s hurt by Shawn, who snidely says the nightclub they’re going to wouldn’t be their ‘scene’ while Cory’s uninvolved, obsessing over the latest episode of 60 Minutes. However, he eventually admits he may be ‘a little set’ in his ways, and they decide to throw their own party.   
It conflicts with the party of the year, and Shawn continues to make hilariously bitchy asides (‘We won’t leave 'til your party’s over. It’ll be done by ten, right?’) Cory, in turn, drags Shawn’s hipster goatee (but sadly not hard enough, as he continues to wear it for the next fifteen years.)   
No one wants to go to Corpanga’s lame party (featuring quiches and Clue), which Shawn, Rachel and Angela witness (I guess Eric and Jack couldn’t be persuaded for love nor money, or maybe they were off on their own, after Eric’s earlier: ‘If I were a woman, I’d think you were swell, Jack.’) Shawn exits, saying he’s going back to Dervin’s party.  
Cory and Topanga turn on each other over who’s the dullest, calling each other ‘soccer mom’ and ‘Mr. Rogers’, the reference to whom renders them both incapable with lust (…I don’t know) and they bang one out on their floor.   
Shawn returns with a group from Dervin’s he’s paid to attend the shindig, however, he exits upon witnessing the horror within. In perhaps the least surprising plot reveal ever, he and Angela are both super aroused by the idea of Corpanga at it (‘You think they do that every night?’ ‘Well, gosh, that’s probably why they go home at night.’) and they exit to a grocery store for their own 9 ½ Weeks remake. 

‘Brotherly Shove’ reunites Eric and Cory. The former is hurt that Cory decided to clean out the garage (and the childhood memories within) with Shawn and Topanga, instead of with him as their father requested. It’s cool to see the interpersonal dynamics here from both sides – Eric’s clearly bitter about how the closeness of the C/S/T triangle leaves him out (‘No, no, you guys stay! He probably doesn’t get a chance to see you a whole lot, anyway’); while Topanga reminisces about how jealous she and Shawn were when Cory adored Eric in his early teens.  
We also see Shawn and Topanga snark at each other, finding a ‘no girls allowed’ clubhouse sign (‘That lasted long!’ ‘I threatened to sue.’) as well as when Cory defends inviting Shawn: ‘Hey, he loves this stuff. Remember where he’s from.’ To which Shawn agrees: ‘I do love trash’, and puts his arm around Topanga, who sticks her tongue out in response. 

The last time travel episode occurs in ‘As Time Goes By’, a Casablanca inspired pastiche. These episodes were never really high points, and this one is no exception. It does however, turn out that all the cast look amazing in 40s costumes, so there’s something. We begin in a noir spoof with Eric as a detective investigating the murder of Topanga, or her forties version: ‘Trixie’, who ‘got in the way.’   
We then cut to Topanga nagging and Cory man-childing, as she reminds him they have a test, and he watches cartoons.   
Cory says everyone she knows wants to kill her. Topanga reminds Cory he can’t escape ‘into a fantasy world’ every time something bad happens (although he apparently can, judging from ‘Resurrection’ in S6. Also nothing’s happening, bad or otherwise.)   
Topanga gets sucked into the past, Being John Malkovich style (what, that was a very current reference when this was released!) and we meet the 40s versions of the characters we know, including bartender Isaac Goodshot Kelly (Shawn) and…Rory (you guessed it.)   
Isaac explains everyone in the bar is ‘running from something or trying to find something – themselves.’   
Rory, the manager, owns ‘the bar and everyone in it.’ He proposes almost instantly, saying he knows Trixie is carefree and spontaneous (a little call-back occurs in Girl Meets World, when Cory tells Shawn his best attribute is ‘reckless spontaneity’, and it made him ‘the best thing that ever happened to me’.)   
Trixie dismisses Eric from her case, saying ‘Now that I’m getting married, it doesn’t matter who I was!’ However, her usual self starts to shine through, influencing the others (‘Angel’ corrects Willie’s grammar, saying ‘Oh my god, I’m like her!’ to Isaac’s sneer: ‘Go drop a dish!’)   
When Trixie’s found murdered, Cory and Rory confront each other (‘You’re a very good looking man, by the way’), and Cory explains that he only ‘maybe’ thought about killing his wife, and that Topanga has changed him, but for the better. It’s bizarre, frankly, the whole dream is supposed to be from Topanga’s perspective; but she’s a corpse for 50% of it, and the moral is she needs to learn to be a lazy couch potato like Cory, a moral she already learnt twice this season. 

Angela’s plotline concludes in ‘Angela’s Ashes.’   
Topanga is applying for an internship at a New York law firm, to Cory’s disinterest (while he’s later distracted by Shawn’s life: ‘You, you, you! I’m talking about Shawn!’, he also just generally tunes her out: ‘Cory, tell her how huge this is.’ ‘Youngest dead guy yesterday? Forty-two.’)  
It turns out Angela’s father wants her to spend a year with him in Europe. While Shawn is initially ‘mortified’: ‘There’s the bad’, he rallies surprisingly quickly, fixing a sandwich while Cory paces.   
He talks about how he imagines Angela in Europe, sipping coffee and reading poetry (a tad disturbingly, this was also his fantasy of his mom in 7x13.)   
Cory accuses him of ‘lying to himself’, reminding Shawn that Europe contains other men, and when Shawn says he trusts Angela and just wants her to be happy; Cory insists ‘A year away will kill your relationship!’ (I guess Cory doesn’t share the same endless faith in love conquering all for Shawngela that he feels for himself and Topanga!)  
Shawn then switches positions, agreeing he can’t lose Angela, and decides he’ll tell her to stay. Cory tells him he can’t, as she needs to make the decision for herself, and they decide if Shawn ‘lets’ her ‘process’, she’ll decide by herself to stay, and then and only then can he ‘validate her decision’. A rather dark reading of Topanga’s decision to turn down Yale, there, with Cory suggesting that he allowed her to turn down opportunities for him as a manipulation technique.   
(There’s also a running thread during this in which Cory advises Shawn, but ignores his own wife completely prior and post her interview with Brown-Elliott: ‘Shawn, you failed because you have absolutely no idea what’s going on with your woman!’ ‘Where was Topanga going?’ ‘I dunno. Laundromat.’)   
Shawn spends all his time with Angela before her leaving date, still seeming calm and collected: ‘She said she wouldn’t go if I told her not to. But y’know, she wants to go. She wants to be with her dad. What could I do?’   
Cory decides from his vast knowledge of two conversations with Angela that ‘She wants you to fight for her, she’s testing you,’ and saying that Topanga is constantly ‘testing’ him (despite Topanga’s already floor-level low standards for appropriate treatment from a husband?)   
Shawn, logically, asks why Angela would say she wanted to go if she didn’t, and Cory suggests it’s due to her father’s influence: ‘Because how could she turn down her old man unless someone tells her to? Her father’s a strong guy, Shawn. He told her to go. But she was waiting for an even stronger person to tell her not to.’ (Angela = not a person, strong or otherwise.)  
Shawn decides he’ll propose to lock that shit down, telling, of course, Angela’s father first. He makes a fair comment to Sgt. Moore, saying he’s there for Angela every day (minus that whole S6 split…), which her father can’t say, and her father says he’ll step aside if Shawn and Angela decide to marry.   
Angela promises to write to Shawn and call him, and Shawn says they should never be apart, beginning his proposal with ‘I love you…and when you love somebody, Angela, it’s okay to be a little selfish.’ (The proposal of every girl’s dreams!)  
Angela thanks him for letting her be selfish, and he blunders on ‘Not you, me’, before Angela tells him how much it means to her to spend this time with her father, and how sorry she is that he didn’t get that same opportunity. In the clinch, Shawn can’t bring himself to propose, saying instead: ‘I’m really happy for both of you.’ At the Union, Angela says they shouldn’t say goodbye, as then it’s over, and they should just exchanges ‘I love yous’. Shawn does, but then to himself as she exits, says: ‘Goodbye, Angela.’  
The episode concludes with Cory asking Shawn not to spin out of control, before spinning out of control himself when Topanga announces she got her internship (‘Why did nobody tell me about that?’) and grasping both Shawn and Topanga’s wrists.   
It’s honestly a really odd episode. Shawn seems uncharacteristically unbothered by the idea of Angela leaving prior to his talks with Cory. Like, he’s certainly passive and allows Cory to chivvy him along the committed relationship highway to an extent; but I really feel like having Cory be the impetus for him deciding he wants his girlfriend to stay at all seems a little lazy. Basically, at the beginning of this plot, Shawn had a mature, if surprisingly calm approach that goes totally unacknowledged; then he backpedals until the ending, where he’s now heartbroken by the same situation. Score?  
There’s also a streak of misogyny in it a mile wide (summed up with Shawn and Sgt. Moore’s conversation: ‘Guess we’re just two guys who love the same girl and want what’s best for her.’ ‘Then one of us better decide what that is.’) 

The original run concludes with a double clip show, interweaved with the resolution of the move to New York.   
Cory tells Eric and Shawn he doesn’t want to go to New York (the original script was apparently: ‘New York has big monsters. That’s not what I want to do with my life.’) Shawn asks ‘What about Topanga?’ and Cory returns: ‘Who cares about…why does everyone take Topanga’s side?’ (Eric offers the straight guy POV in opposition: ‘Boobies.’)  
Jack decides to join the Peace Corps. Meanwhile, Topanga decides she’ll turn down the internship as Philly is where they grew up and their friends are. When Topanga exits, Cory crows ‘Nothing’s gonna change!’ Shawn objects: ‘You know she didn’t mean a word she just said, right?’ Cory agrees: ‘But for now join me in fooling myself!’ and they dance happily.  
There’s an actual real moment of insight (here! In the last episode! Buried in a clip show!) where Feeny suggests that Topanga turned down Yale as much because of her fear of failure as Cory.   
Cory tells Topanga she’s never failed, and she never will as long as she stays there and plays it safe, and asks her to take the internship.   
Rachel also decides to join the Peace Corps. (The show never really knew what to do with Jack, Rachel and Angela; as their status in ‘The War’ lampshades.)   
There was apparently also a cut line here where Rachel talks about how she can see Angela now ‘surrounded by culture and handsome Frenchmen, having the time of her life. What do you think?’ and Shawn says: ‘I think you’re the cruelest person on Earth.’  
Cory and Shawn prepare their goodbyes:   
_CORY: ‘The best goodbyes are fast goodbyes.’  
SHAWN: ‘Are you freakin’ NUTS?!?! Where is your SOUL, Man?! Are you just gonna cast me aside like an old pair of shoes? We have to say good-bye for an hour!’   
TOPANGA: ‘Guys, it’s only seventy miles away.’  
CORY: (OPENLY SOBBING) ‘No no no!! I was just doing it QUICK because I thought YOU wanted to do it QUICK!’   
(Here was a cut line, apparently, where Cory says: ‘I was just doing it to save you from crying! I love long goodbyes.’)  
TOPANGA: ‘I want a divorce.’_  
After clips, Topanga reveals a packed bag: ‘That’s it! I can’t take it anymore! I knew it would come to this.’ Cory and Shawn are overjoyed at the invitation for Shawn to accompany them. (Also in the original script was Topanga’s line: ‘Oh, please. You know you’re going with us.’)   
Ghost!Chet makes his third appearance, and the series concludes with Shawn, Eric, Topanga and Cory in Feeny’s classroom, as he tells them: ‘Do well.’


	9. girl meets world

**Girl Meets World – ‘(‘You’re) the greatest thing that ever happened to me.’**

Girl Meets World, a reboot/sequel to the original show, which ran for 3 seasons from 2014-2017, guest stars Shawn in seven episodes. It’s premise is based around Cory and Topanga’s daughter, Riley, her best friend, Maya, and her little brother Auggie; and shows Cory as a middle-school teacher and Topanga as a lawyer/bakery owner. 

**‘Home for The Holidays’** , a Christmas special, is the first episode featuring Shawn. (It’s honestly pretty rough, there was an enjoyable review [here](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/104697600753/glittergash-i-reviewed-the-girl-meets-world), although I’d skip it if you were a passionate GMW fan. In fact, if you adored the show, maybe just skip this whole chapter!)  
It’s a little hard to believe some of the conceit of the show, which requires we basically accept some characters have been in suspended animation since BMW’s end, so a lot of ‘firsts’ suddenly crop up 15 years into Cory and Topanga’s marriage and Riley and Maya’s supposedly lifelong friendship (apparently it’s the first time Corpanga have hosted for the holidays, and the first time Maya’s spent time with them over the break. Also, no one mentions Morgan or Eric’s existence.) and it’s massively heavy-handed (we know from Shawn’s introduction the plan for him to marry Maya’s mother, despite them not even having met at this point; and everyone leans on the fourth wall heavily about ‘the Cory and Shawn show’ and Riley and Maya being the new ‘them’.)  
We prepare for his and Cory’s close friendship as Cory hangs a Christmas ornament of the pair of them (made from a S3 promo) on his tree, hanging it over his and Topanga’s wedding ornament, prompting her running joke: ‘My whole life!’  
Shawn sneaks in behind Cory, saying: ‘Gee, Cor, I thought you’d be more happy to see me’, receiving a fervent hug.  
He greets Topanga as ‘Mrs Cory’, and she greets him as ‘Mr Cory’, while Cory says: ‘This is so great! My favourite person, and my wife!’  
Riley greets Shawn, who says ‘Hey, kids’, and flees.  
Riley takes this as proof he hates her personally (the ego apple didn’t fall far from the tree!) and Maya suggests ‘Maybe he’s just not a big talker.’  
Shawn proves her wrong, grabbing Cory: ‘Time to talk, we got a lot to catch up on,’ and Cory suggests Shawn move back (it’s less touching than it sounds, layered in about fifteen layers of irony: ‘Cory, this is real life, not a TV show!’)  
Maya and Riley interrupt, with Maya telling Shawn he’s great in stories, but she doesn’t ‘see it yet’. Shawn and she bicker over who are better friends, and this is apparently supposed to be evidence towards Shawn’s deep desire for a child of his own and not his emotional stasis/regression.  
The guys sleep on the couch, in a call back to S4 of BMW (‘yip yip yip’), before Maya wakes them to ask that Shawn further explain himself: ‘How can you possibly not like Riley?!’  
Riley says Shawn finds excuses not to talk to her, and then quizzes him on trivia about her (‘When’s my birthday? What’s my favourite colour?’)  
Shawn says that stuff doesn’t matter, but Cory insists Shawn does know Riley’s birthday.  
Maya continues her sassery (at Cory’s: ‘How’s the job going, Shawn?’ she snarks: ‘Oh, you do something?’) and they bond over liking travel, art, and having no manners (‘I’m gonna say yeah last.’ ‘Very mature.’)  
Riley once more asks ‘When’s my birthday, Uncle Shawn?’ until he cracks and takes them out to a diner.  
He reveals he knows the super sekrit code of her birthday, and Maya ticks him off for ‘abandoning’ his friends and going on the road. (WTF?!)  
Shawn says he knows her baby weight and birth time, and held her first after her parents, but he left New York when she was born because he ‘didn’t keep up’ with getting married and having kids and therefore felt ‘out of place’. (As well he should, apparently, this is very definitely a show coming down hard on hetero marriage and children being The One True Path.)  
Maya once more insists Shawn should love Riley as she’s just like her parents. Riley then decides Shawn does love her, as he loves her parents, and that’s why he ‘can’t look at her’, and grabs his face, demanding he look at her until he does and of course Instantly Loves Her (‘You’re Cory, with Topanga’s hair.’)  
Riley then goes onto to pityingly asking Shawn if looking at her reminds him of what he ‘doesn’t have’, and orders Cory and Shawn to tell each other their feelings.  
(Cory teases us with a hint of parenting, telling Riley not to command grown adults, but we know it’s a bit and he leaves all the heavy lifting to Topanga, like the cooking.)  
Cory and Shawn admit they missed each other ‘something fierce’. Cory asks Shawn why he moved away, and Shawn says Cory was ‘preoccupied with your wife, and your (kid)’. Cory thinks Shawn’s been away for three weeks, when it’s been 13 years; which is not only wildly out of character for Cory; but also clashes with the canon established in this very episode, where Riley talks about how Shawn has visited semi-regularly.  
Shawn says he doesn’t know how to be a ‘cool uncle’ (tbh, he doesn’t at any point seem as if he has any interest in children – he interacts with Riley, Maya and Farkle as peers rather than adult-to-teenagers; and never acknowledges Auggie’s existence, albeit understandably; but we all know that he’ll Change His Mind) and Josh interrupts, saying: ‘Two grown men in a girls bedroom window, and nobody thinks that’s weird? Wink’ with Auggie quipping: ‘I would never watch that show!’ (Subtle enough for ya?!)  
Farkle arrives, and Shawn realises ‘even’ Minkus has kids, and idk, he’s a dried up cat gentlemen Methuselah of 32.  
He asks Cory what it’s like to have children, and Cory says his life began when he had children (There was a great [text post](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/105864595243/themunchkym-shawn-whats-it-like-to-have) that was like ‘We had seven seasons of your life prior to having kids’, lol.) and urges Shawn to ‘find someone, begin your life.’ The writing at this point is so unsubtle that Riley literally enters like a stagehand at this, saying ‘Thank you, you have served your purpose’, dragging Cory out and Maya in so they can forcibly bond over how Shawn’s mother and father’s mental illness, alcoholism and abandonment are similar to Maya’s mother having a job (‘I’ve got half a mom!’) and her father’s remarriage.  
Cory, after an episode (and lbr, a lifetime) of ignoring Topanga in favour of Shawn, tells her their childhood is over, that it’s ‘better now’ (not for the viewer!) and the family she’s given him is ‘everything.’ Topanga admits he’s ‘everything’ to her (which was never in question) and says there’s no greater gift than finally winning over Shawn/hearing him say that. ([You’re not a real adult until your close friendships stop being the most important thing in your life and you have a real het relationship with real actual babies.](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/104698094683/i-watched-girl-meets-world-for-the-first-time-to))

Shawn returns relatively swiftly in **Girl Meets Master Plan**. It’s Maya’s birthday, but her mother has gone to work. Everyone in this seems to have less understanding than Cory (a self-proclaimed idiot!) had at 11, and is basically like ‘How odd, I wonder why someone would choose to work instead of be with their teenaged child.’ Like, we know Maya’s father isn’t around, and her mother is a waitress (aka notoriously low paid job), but it’s like they’ve gone direct from that to ‘I bet they have cash to spare and she just blew off her daughter because she loves to waitress so much!’ Cory directly compares her to Shawn’s mother (now the apparent villain of the family since Chet’s death, despite Shawn repeatedly saying in BMW that his father’s abandonment injured him far more.)  
It’s especially odd, since Cory and Topanga’s relationship is once more, operating outside a sphere of normality – for starters, for Riley to be born 13 years ago (in 2014) dictates Cory and Topanga got almost instantly pregnant, while Cory had no educational plans (having dropped out of Pennbrooke sophomore year to follow Topanga to Brown-Elliott and her NYU transfer), and in the middle of Topanga’s internship.  
They then apparently thrived in one of the most expensive cities on the planet, without the childcare support of their parents, Shawn or Eric (or Shawn or Eric’s rent, apparently).  
Even assuming they’re both from well-off extended families (their nana was apparently willing to buy them a house in S7 when she thought they were pregnant); we now have a Topanga who’s mainly shown in a domestic role, or co-managing a bakery, despite the time demands one would presume from a well-paid lawyer.  
So basically, this comes off a little like Maya’s mother is being criticised for struggling to combine time with her daughter with paying the rent; when Cory and Topanga would not realistically be able to ‘have it all’. It’s like Katy, like Shawn’s family, has zoomed in from reality; while the Matthews are firmly in Fictionland, and it creates a real disconnect for the viewer.  
Shawn arrives - apparently he has a key given to him by Cory, to Topanga’s displeasure.  
Cory tells Topanga she has the key ‘to his heart’, prompting Maya and Riley to quiz Shawn on his romantic history. Shawn has apparently had no relationships since Angela, and Riley and Maya dismiss their relationship as ‘doomed from the start’ as Shawn was ‘in love with a concept’ (it’s bizarre, like, yes, that was an issue with the writing; but the reboot of GMW is by the same showrunner. Self-burn, those are the rarest kind!)  
Maya asks if it didn’t work because he ‘couldn’t commit’, and instead of anyone having a word with the kids about appropriate boundaries; Shawn sinks to their level, saying he was all in and the victim of mean Angela the Abandoner.  
Riley pulls her parents aside and says she wants to ‘scheme’ for Shawn to become Maya’s dad, and she’s inspired by her father’s history of ignoring people’s autonomy. (Maya’s mother is very clearly secondary to the plot here, as is Topanga, frankly, who’s schemer role is: ‘inspiration.’)  
Cory shows off a ring Shawn give him when he was twenty-five, which Topanga won’t let him wear.  
Meanwhile, Maya talks about how her mother did ‘something’ to make her father leave and repels men and blah blah mom’s evil and dad’s a saint. Shawn takes it all on faith, as he’s tragically regressed to pre-S1 characterisation, and asks Cory to scheme with him to reunite the wicked witch and her daughter. Cory refuses, and Shawn’s forced to go it along to meet Katy and immediately ask her ‘What kind of mother are you?’, pissing her off.  
(Everyone seems wildly surprised at this failure of their plan, despite not actually being there to witness it; like you basically told the guy Katy’s a neglectful mom and then sent him off to tell her so, and you’re surprised they don’t end up immediately humping next to the coffee machine?)  
Maya and Riley bicker, and manage to get some kind of broken Aesop out of ‘people don’t get angry with each other unless they care about each other’, which, like most of their lessons, seems both inaccurate and borderline abusive; but that way, we know Shawn and Katy, and the three words they’ve so far exchanged onscreen are MFEO.  
Katy confesses Maya’s dad left, but a girl needs to think well of her father. (I thought there were no time travel episodes, but here we are in 1950s, apparently.) She and Shawn bond over being ‘terrible’ at relationships and stitch scarlet ‘D’s (for divorcee) and ‘B’s (for barren) on their clothes, as Shawn gives her money to buy Maya’s gift.  
Shawn immediately tells Maya her dad left, despite Katy asking him not to. It’s wildly wrongheaded on both sides, and therefore perfect for this show. Ironically, despite torpedoing Shawngela, we get a lot of the same tropes (an onlooker notes how ‘cute’ they are, Shawn looks through Katy’s purse.)  
Cory reiterates that Shawn is ‘on your own’ as he has a ‘new partner’ for schemes (Riley.) Frankly, nothing is gayer in this show than it’s repeated devotionals to the hetero way of life, and almost every episode has Shawn making puppy eyes at Cory (‘It’s you and her now, huh?’) while the others go to wild lengths to force their square peg into the round hole that is Katy’s vagina. (And more importantly, the kid that came out of it.) 

In S2, Shawn returns in **Girl Meets Pluto** to open a time capsule buried 15 years ago. (Bizarrely, there’s over 100 episodes of BMW to refer to, but here we have a clearly invented memory: ‘Ah yes! Our time capsule! Of course!’)  
Cory lures him in by telling Shawn it’s a matter of life and death, and there’s more leaning on the fourth wall (‘You and me, Feeny, Shawn and Angela!’ ‘I’m kinda liking this movie.’) and upon finding out about the time capsule, Farkle, of all people, asks Shawn if he thinks he’ll fall in love with Angela again (…WTF?!)  
There’s a sweet reunion with Feeney, who offers the advice: ‘You’re all still together. What else do you need to know?’  
Back in NY, the time capsule is opened. (There’s a ridiculous sub-plot for Topanga whereupon she reveals that she hid Lauren’s letter in her time capsule to remind herself that she ‘almost let this hurt us’, and now she’s older, she realises that nothing could hurt them, and rips it up.)  
Meanwhile, Shawn had buried Angela’s stuff (…okay) and bemoans that they were going to be ‘Cory and Topanga’, while Maya wistfully says: ‘Bye, Shawn’ in a hilariously dramatic tone.  
Shawn reminisces about Angela and how they didn’t ‘talk’ but would just be with each other, and Topanga cheerily suggests he give ‘something different…a chance’ (coming from Ms. Codependence 2014?!)  
Cory takes on exposition duties, saying: ‘Why DIDN’T you end up with Angela?’ and Shawn says she ‘ended it and walked out on me’, a somewhat radical interpretation of the text; and now without his girlfriend from 15 years ago, he’ll be forever alone. Riley urges him to believe there’s somebody out there, and Cory and Maya make endless hints and do everything but hum ‘Fiddler on the Roof’. (It’s amazing how unsubtle this show is, like it’s only three episodes in and I already feel like I’ve basically lived this entire plotline.) The episode ends with Katy and Shawn talking about how they’re ready for something ‘different’ from the past.

In the episodes between, there’s references to Cory/Shawn from [Katy](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138661797483), [Topanga](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/146895873358/do-you-remember-your-first-date-with-dad) and [Cory](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138661540218/okay-a-lot-of-bad-stuff-went-on-in-the-last).

 **Girl Meets Hurricane** begins with a bizarre joke in which Cory is jealous of Shawn and Maya’s chemistry (as they feed each other with cake), asking Riley: ‘Is it over between us?’ as she returns: ‘It’s not me. It’s you.’  
Riley tells Shawn to give Maya ‘fatherly advice’ (?!) and Shawn tells her to dress differently (inexplicably, as her wardrobe budget over the two seasons of this show is approximately ten million dollars; not to mention Shawn’s taste was always to wear twelve clashing shirts at once. I think the show is just suggesting Girls Need to Be Femme.)  
Shawn is hilariously passive-aggressive with this 14 year old (‘You asked me for advice and I told you, but you pushed! …Are you crying?! Maya, you asked me for advice, and I just told you how I was feeling, why are you crying?’) but Maya is of course crying because men criticising your appearance is the biggest gift they can give you: ‘No one’s ever cared enough to say that to me.’ (Wait ‘til she gets her first catcall on the street!) She sobs on Shawn’s chest, as he asks: ‘How do I make it stop?’  
Shawn buys Maya a new outfit (a dress, naturally) and there’s a nice scene where Shawn says he likes taking care of somebody besides himself (although I liked it better in it’s original form, the S2 episode where Turner agrees to take Shawn in); and reminds Maya that her mother does the ‘heavy lifting’ of keeping the lights on, whereas Shawn ‘got to do something fun.’  
Katy and Shawn then share a scene in which she asks him not to confuse his affection for Maya with affection for her. Shawn really has reverted back to pre-Angela days and instead, refuses to be serious, laughing at Katy’s exes name, saying she’s reading too much into casual gestures and accusing her of being ‘mad at me for no reason.’ Once more Angela/Shawn are compared to Katy’s marriage failure, which is really quite odd. Like, I get the parallels and all, but comparing a relationship you had when you were 19 with someone you haven’t seen for 14 years; with a messy divorce and abandoned child… Shawn then goes in a totally different direction from protesting he has no interest in relationships, by telling Katy that you have to ‘pick yourself up and rebuild. And you don’t look back.’  
At this, Cory enters, saying the only person who can change Shawn’s life from ‘pretty good’ to ‘*makes screaming noise*’ has arrived, cueing Angela’s arrival. Unfortunately, there’s no reunion with Topanga/Angela, and her interactions with Cory are limited to him saying: ‘Remember you and him for a while, then you went away?’ before fleeing. Katy awkwardly introduces herself; meanwhile, Riley and Maya worry that Angela will ‘take Shawn away.’ Riley rudely says ‘Hellllllllllo’ to Angela, who, to give her credit, completely ignores Riley, and they discuss her father passing (a decent tribute to the actor, who died in 2008.) There’s an shoehorned reference to Chet’s ghostly appearances, before Angela tells Shawn she’s married.  
Shawn flat-out asks her why she left him, and she responds: ‘I wasn’t ready’.  
Shawn says ‘And then you were…’ like, yeah. She married at what, 28, a decade after her relationship with Shawn. Monster!  
Angela explains that she was basically a placeholder in Shawn’s life so that Shawn can now be ready for a relationship with Katy. She tells Shawn that as he knows, she was always afraid of being a parent because of her own mother’s departure (something that was never mentioned once or even hinted at in any of her appearances; but whatever, Angela is merely a Shawn stand-in at this point, representing his Fear of Children.) and asks him to tell her if she’d be a good parent, as he apparently knows her better than her own husband of four years. Shawn, of course, urges her to procreate, as it’s why we’re ‘here’.  
Angela, who apparently has succumbed to the same brain disease that all members of this show seem to suffer from, then points out Katy, asking ‘Is she the one, Shawn? Is she the one?’ and tells him to let their relationship make him ready for ‘something’. She then exits, giving Katy and Cory creepy, knowing smiles.  
The episode ends on Shawn offering to buy Katy an outfit (apparently buying things is the number one role of a father) and her asking him out, as he looks terrified (‘Seriously?’) and the ever-present Riley interjects: ‘Uncle Shawn? This is a really important moment in your life!’  
We then see the ghost of Chet (for the fourth time! He’s probably appeared more times dead than alive!) appear so everyone in Shawn’s life, living or dead, can demand he father Maya and by proxy, date Katy. This is getting ridiculous, at this point, I half expect Turner, Virna and Feeny to turn up as a Greek chorus carolling ‘Tell Maya I Love Her’. 

In **Girl Meets Upstate** , Riley and Maya visit Shawn, who is by now a different character entirely (or as he puts it ‘I’m evolving’), talking to squirrels and holding out his pinky to sip tea. Apparently, Maya has been too influenced by Riley’s example for ‘good’, and is therefore ‘broken’. Shawn instead of questioning what kind of art teacher informs their student they’re ‘incomplete’, latches on to the parallels between Maya and himself, talking about how Cory always wanted to be like him, despite his great family. He describes how ‘then’ Cory met Topanga, introducing the 387594th new canon for those two, saying how he pursued one relationship in his entire life because of this: ‘And so I loved Angela, because I thought I was supposed to. Because Cory had Topanga, and they’d influenced me. It didn’t work.’  
The girls admire Shawn’s photographs, and the ones on his wall which are ‘extra special’, which include one of him with Katy. (You’d think production might spring the bucks for the ones we saw back on BMW, such as Shawn with his brother and father; or the Christmas shot from ‘Home for the Holidays.’)  
Riley demands Shawn ‘Say it!’ (presumably that he loves Maya) but he for once refuses, saying he ‘doesn’t know what comes next’, as he’s ‘damaged.’ He and Maya fixate on finding out how they stopped being them (for Shawn and the adult cast it was pretty much the beginning of their tenure on this show, tbh) and Shawn claims it was due to Cory. Cory then enters: ‘Shawn called me. I come.’  
However, Shawn and Cory instead wrestle, as Shawn claims Cory destroyed him by ‘turning me into you’, and bemoans he’s spent his life ‘chasing what Cory and Topanga had.’ Cory, now a full cartoon character, merely snickers: ‘Haha, never caught us’, while scoffing biscuits by the handful. Shawn decides that while knowing Cory changed him for the better, he doesn’t want what Cory and Topanga have anymore, but what I’m ‘supposed’ to have.  
Meanwhile, Topanga tells Katy she’s in love with Shawn. (This whole subplot is really harmed by Rider Strong not wanting to do many episodes, tbh. We just have to assume that offscreen, Katy and Shawn progresses from that first date in their last episode to fully fledged love in this one.)  
Shawn asks Cory what made ‘me me?’ and Cory tells him his ‘reckless spontaneity’ is the best part of him ‘and the greatest thing that ever happened to me.’ Riley interjects: ‘Besides Mom’, and Cory corrects her: ‘I know my own life.’  
They reinact their old S1/2 dance (‘Give the people what they want.’)  
The episode concludes with Shawn telling Katy he’s been unfair to her, and she doesn’t ‘know me. You don’t even know that I’m a creature of…what was it?’ Cory prompts him: ‘Reckless spontaneity.’ He proposes, saying he loves her daughter and is in love with her; and she accepts.

 **Girl Meets I Do** begins with Maya seeking reassurance, as all of Katy and Shawn’s ‘previous relationships’ (yup, all two) failed and therefore they’re idiots who’ve damaged her irreparably.  
Cory claims he’s ‘never seen Shawn happy before’, a line already used by Feeny to reassure Angela’s father _they_ were in love.  
Shawn and Katy claim they’ll never be apart, as they’re wearing joke shop finger cuffs (and they said this show was cancelled because it was aimed at too high a demographic!)  
Shawn says ‘Your mom and I are perfect for each other’, to which Cory seethes: ‘Twist the knife, why don’t ya?’ Topanga urges him to be strong, but at Shawn’s paen to Katy (‘the only thing that holds me here is her’), he spits: ‘You make me sick’, bitter over the ‘thirty years I gave him.’  
Shawn wakes up on the Matthews couch (I’m never sure where Shawn lives, he’s swayed wildly from being a broke blogger who has to crash at his friends to apparently owning an upstate cabin) to find Cory next to him. (I did enjoy his: ‘Cory?’ ‘I certainly hope so!’) Cory said he couldn’t sleep (…in bed with his wife) but he can sleep there ‘like an angel.’ Cory comments on the big step Shawn is taking, and Shawn says: ‘I love her.’ Cory says: ‘here’s the big test’, and Shawn immediately answers: ‘Yes, more than you.’ Cory asks him to ask who Cory prefers, Shawn or Topanga, and Shawn does so, sighing. Cory says: ‘Topanga! Shocked, surprised, ya gonna cry? Well, don’t, because that’s the way it is pal-ie! Topanga is my entire life, and that’s how I want you to feel about Katy.’  
Shawn says he does. Cory gives his official permission, and Shawn says ‘I don’t need your permission, I like her way more than you.’  
Cory insists: ‘I set you free, little Shawnie bird, fly fly away! Don’t go…’  
Shawn reassures Cory: ‘I love Katy, she’s first in my life, you’re second. Maybe even third. That’s how much I love her!’  
Cory declares: ‘Slumber party over,’ and they have a pillow fight.  
Maya asks Shawn why he wants to marry Katy, and Cory interjects: ‘To get back at me.’ Shawn tells Maya that while he respects her ‘tragedies’, the wedding isn’t about her but himself and Katy. She again demands ‘Prove you’re ready’, and Shawn and Katy marry on the rooftop, with Feeny presiding. Cory gives Shawn and Katy away (‘You’re a good little boy.’ ‘I done some things.’ ‘Yeah, well, you’re her problem now.’) while Shawn begins his speech naturally with: ‘…My two best friends get married.’)  
(Oddly enough, from here on out it’s declared that Shawn will adopt Maya officially, despite her still having a father; which sort of conflicts with BMW, which stated that you should always maintain a relationship with your bio-dad; cheater, wifebeater, or no.) 

The series finale **Girl Meets Goodbye** ends as Topanga’s received a job offer to move to London. (Michael Jacobs clearly has but one idea for finales.)  
This prompts almost all the entire cast of returning characters from BMW (including both Morgans.)  
Shawn and Katy are now fully ‘rewrit(ing) history’ as they reminisce on the first time they saw Maya in the ‘delivery room’, which cues a long overdue reunion of Shawn and Turner (‘Let them write what they want to!’) and he encourages Shawn to adopt Maya.  
The show ends with many a callback to the original run; and the last shot we see of Cory and Shawn is them sitting together, minus their wives, watching on as Riley and Maya vow: ‘You and I are together, as long as we live.’


	10. fanworks list

**Meta**

❤ [This](https://whatireadbackthen.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/two-roads-diverged-in-the-woods-i-chose-the-one-leading-to-you/) blog post discusses the pairing, and includes this comment from a writer on the show: _'I was a writer for BMW. I can confirm that some of us did see them as gay. I personally always wanted them to end up together, however, other writers didn’t agree. So the answer can really go both ways. Some of us said they were, some said they were not. For this reason, in the show, they were NOT. The producers, Susan mainly, wanted to keep the show “kid-friendly”. That is the hard thing about working with multiple writers, there is often little consistency in how we view the characters. This is why every backstory changed so many times. I unfortunately did not come in to the show until season 3 so my opinions of Cory and Shawn were not the prominent opinions. So, while they were “straight”, I certainly put in homosexual undertones. In my opinion, as the writer, they thought they were straight. They both didn’t realize or understand their feelings for each other.'_

❤ [Quote](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/148679971523/but-ya-gonna-repeat-the-same-damn-thing-with) from the GMW writer's Twitter

❤ [Interview with Ben Savage](https://boymeetsworldgifs.tumblr.com/post/179232965316/fan-if-your-characters-had-tinder-profiles-what) discussing if the BMW characters had Tinder

❤ [Episode recaps](http://boymeetsworldreviewed.blogspot.com/)

❤ [Brilliant recaps](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4948678?view_full_work=true) reposted from the now sadly defunct [guide](http://www.lanceandeskimo.com/bmw/).

❤ [Funny](http://dumbbaby.net/disney.shtml) recaps of various episodes

❤ [A humour](https://web.archive.org/web/20140901085459/http://brunchforeverymeal.com/2012/12/11/questions-they-should-answer-n-girl-meets-world/) article prior to GMW's release.

❤ A [livejournal](http://youcallitwinter.livejournal.com/83364.html) post 

❤ A [pre-GMW](https://ship-manifesto.livejournal.com/80593.html) ship manifesto

❤ A [S1](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11061543?view_full_work=true) ship manifesto

❤ [Short text](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/149568401118/presidentplant2044-corys-standard-for) [posts](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/149568397718/presidentplant2044-in-his-heart-of-hearts-cory) on the pair from presidentplant2044

❤ [Short text](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/159300712313/kristycotton-i-honestly-do-not-want-to-downplay) on the pair from kristycotton

❤ [Shawn character analysis](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/167416399458/shawn-hunter-boy-meets-world-isfp)

❤ [Shawn character analysis](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17344607/chapters/40909328)

❤ [Spoof](https://ghostgloss.tumblr.com/post/110289027050/every-episode-of-boy-meets-world) of the BMW format

❤ oncethrown fear strikes out [Oncethrown's slash analysis of the S2 eps 'Fear Strikes Out'](https://oncethrown.livejournal.com/53231.html#comments) and ['Pairing Off'](https://oncethrown.livejournal.com/52626.html#comments)

**Fic**

(Fanfiction.net)

❤ [9](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1206834/) fics by A Moment in Subtext

❤ [2](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1501533/Frenzied-Flame) fics by Frenzied Flame 

❤ [2](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/682929/Semmi) fics by Semmi (One Minkus/Shawn, Cory/Shawn implied; and one Cory/Shawn/Topanga)

❤ [3](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2578791/fennecfawkes) fics by fennecfawkes

❤ [4](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4520193/Esthernight) fics by Esthernight 

❤ [4](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/105369/Chash) fics by Chash

❤ [Shawn's Poetry](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3533490/1/Shawn-s-Poetry) by disheveledreams

❤ [Collision](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4422326/1/Collision) by insane pocky addict

❤ [Unthought Known](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6663132/1/Unthought-Known) by rachelbee 

❤ [Make Me Want to Give Into You](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5195797/1/Make-Me-Want-to-Give-Into-You) by novemberleaving 

❤ [Compromises](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3410322/1/Compromises) by skipmcgee 

❤ [Travails of Dating](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5908064/1/Travails-of-Dating) by wickedwonder 

❤ [Full Disclosure](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6636442/1/Full-Disclosure) by rifster

❤ [What's in a Name](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8387100/1/What-s-in-a-Name) by balloon cow

❤ [Numb](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7626353/1/Numb) by thearchetypes

❤ [Cory and Shawn](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11867107/1/Cory-and-Shawn) by closetotaku18 

❤ [Stop Thinking](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3456971/1/Stop-Thinking) by fortune kitten 

❤ [And When Your Heart](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6470285/1/And-When-Your-Heart) by London Romance

❤ [The Kiss](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/510907/1/The-Kiss) by cheezypengwins

(Livejournal)

❤ [homo-genius' fic](https://homo-genius.livejournal.com/tag/boy%20meets%20slash)

❤ [wisheswerefish' fic](https://wisheswerefish.livejournal.com/)

❤ [asleeb's fic](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/66024.html)

❤ [ariafree's fic](https://ariafree.livejournal.com/?skip=10&tag=boy%20meets%20world)

❤ [wistful-fever's fic](https://wistful-fever.livejournal.com/tag/cory/shawn) [and a drabble here!](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/3893.html)

❤ [allyndra's fic](https://smallfandomflsh.livejournal.com/6260.html)

❤ [dedicace's fic](https://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=dedicaces&keyword=Boy%20Meets%20World&filter=all)

❤ [chalay23's fic](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/23819.html)

❤ [pocketedwocket's fics](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/12158.html) [here](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/12413.html), [here](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/12587.html) and [here.](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/13949.html)

❤ [pixiebells' fic](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/16351.html)

❤ [call-me-ally's fic](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/11689.html)

❤ [so_underground's two](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/1865.html) [two fics](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/3782.html)

❤ [harmony-angel's fic](https://bmw-slash.livejournal.com/4366.html)

(Offline fics posted to Yahoo Groups available on request)

❤ Protected by Reema

❤ Close no matter how far by mari malloy

❤ One stormy night by plude

❤ Everything’s the same by wickedwonder

(Tumblr)

❤ [clarissdarling's fic](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/clarissadarling/148421319673)

(Ao3)

❤ [My five fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrymelody/works?fandom_id=1685)

❤ [Prosperina's offline fics](http://web.archive.org/web/20060222031119/http://members.fortunecity.com/bitchwill/decay.html#bmw) \- [New York Makes You Gay](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1636199) still available on AO3

❤ [sparklespiff's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/114066) 'the god of makeouts'

❤ [shakespeare and punk's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1718534) 'let's pretend we both forgot'

❤ [gaypotatoqueen's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651238?view_full_work=true) 'I don’t want to leave (but I can’t stay)' 

❤ [Your-Local-Trash's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23765176?view_full_work=true) 'We’ve met the world. What’s next?'

❤ [kaylacscott's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11543088) 'time and time again'

❤ [bastet's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3608292) 'wild oats' 

❤ [blood white panther's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18580996) 'wrong side of the tracks'

❤ [k8tmate's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3198815) 'she had always known' 

❤ [mr william james booma's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3850654) 'the bottle’s choice may be destiny'

❤ [thisgirlsays22's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17975636) 'you may find somebody kind' (Angela/Topanga, Cory/Shawn implied)

❤ [piper's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/36169) 'the christmas triangle' 

❤ [scoutshonour's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24630046) 'hey brother'

❤ [paramountie's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13001076) 'i’m gay and you can too' 

❤ [orphan-account's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/268344) 'the nature of things'

❤ [stisaac's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6201950?view_full_work=true) 'tell him it’s going to be okay enough times and maybe you’ll believe it yourself'

❤ [shinealightonme's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21596) 'as we go along' 

❤ [toastbuster's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27160408) 'how did you know'

❤ [seblainer's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3136049) 'when friendship becomes more'

❤ [rhiannimated's](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1448029) 'best friends forever and more'

❤ [facetheravenclaw's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25637701?view_full_work=true) 'then you might as well live' 

❤ [makemelovely's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12424053) 'parallels (i see our tragedy in your eyes)'

❤ [anemptymargin's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/142519) 'let’s do it'

❤ [literally-no-one-care's](https://archiveofourown.org/series/243505) 'Cor and Shawnie'

❤ [windfallswest's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/297045) 'when it rains in boston'

❤ [red racer's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25904902) 'teenage dream tonight'

❤ [insane dreamer's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941790) 'chick like me fixed' 

❤ [imthehotgirl's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27088789) 'eric invites jack' 

❤ [liliaoko's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19089034) 'let’s not make it complicated'

❤ [tru_tru's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27110815?view_full_work=true) 'not that there’s anything wrong with that'

❤ [marvelous-inactive's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13390251?view_full_work=true) 'the leaves in Vermont' 

❤ [mercuryandmoonlight's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1480318/chapters/3122953) 'just like tv'

❤ [onlya_hurricane's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2006853) 'tears and blood'

❤ [molly's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/426) 'the next thing'

❤ [waldorph's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5334485) 'if you love me'

❤ [sandyrahrah's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4169229) 'boy meets true love' 

❤ [senteniae's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/299292) 'the great yeti adventure'

❤ [o0Hexelien0o's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20956085) 'longing heart, lonely hunter'

❤ [Ullam's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/148812) 'inhaler' 

❤ [orphan-account's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14028246/chapters/32310000) 'breaking before becoming whole'

❤ [arduinna's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/887) 'shark attack'

❤ [hunterangelblog's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1771000) 'through it all' 

❤ [solvent90's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1624535) 'if all the world and love were young'

❤ [Person's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1642847) 'everybody knows'

❤ [love-stories'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28767765) 'you are my home'

❤ [jperalta's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28877772) 'untitled'

❤ [4](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/works?fandom_id=1685) [Sara Jaye fics](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/243105/Sara-Jaye)

❤ [Zebra Wallpaper's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZebraWallpaper/works?fandom_id=1685) 4 fics 

❤ [Bacon-queen's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bacon_queen/works?fandom_id=1685) 4 fics 

❤ [Spidermansalterego's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spidermansalterego/works?fandom_id=1685) 4 fics

❤ [mostlikelydefinitelymad's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mostlikelydefinentlymad/works?fandom_id=1685) 19 fics

❤ [MilkyBabyBunny's](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Brelationship_ids%5D%5B%5D=23597&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&commit=Sort+and+Filter&fandom_id=154229&user_id=MilkyBabyBunny) 9 fics

❤ [BradyPom5's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BradyPom5/works?fandom_id=1685) 3 fics

❤ [elle_stone's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle_stone/works?fandom_id=1685) 3 fics

❤ [AniZH's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniZH/works?fandom_id=1685) 3 fics 

❤ [melanie1982's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/melanie1982/works?fandom_id=1685) 9 fics

❤ [World-of-Stories19's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/World_of_Stories19/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [watchtheleaves'](https://archiveofourown.org/users/watchtheleaves/works?fandom_id=1685) 7 fics

❤ [mcswoonfor-mcdoon's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcswoonfor_mcdoon/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [Calacious'](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calacious/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [salvatorestjohn's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/salvatorestjohn/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [MerelyJamieMerelyWriting's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerelyJamieMerelyWriting/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [Duck_Life's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duck_Life/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics 

❤ [Morning66's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morning66/works?fandom_id=1685) 3 fics

❤ [gaynewsies'](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaynewsies/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [Tamminator's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamminator/works?fandom_id=1685) 6 fics

❤ [polkadotparrot's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/polkadotparrot/works?fandom_id=1685) 5 fics 

❤ [CallidoraMalfoy1228's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallidoraMalfoy1228/works?fandom_id=1685) 5 fics

❤ [oncethrown's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncethrown/works?fandom_id=1685) 5 fics and [fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/227571/oncethrown)

❤ [SilverRaven33's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRaven33/works?fandom_id=1685) 5 fics

(Cory/Shawn/Topanga fics on AO3)

❤ [pageleaf's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11315262) 'doing it up like midas' 

❤ [melyndar's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13913589?view_full_work=true) 'square pegs'

❤ [wolfsmouth's 2 fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfsmouth/works?fandom_id=1685)

❤ [SammieRie's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SammieRie/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [ships-to-sails'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10038794?view_full_work=true) 'without purse girl'

❤ [NiebieskiWilk's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NiebieskiWilk/works?fandom_id=1685) 2 fics

❤ [williamkaplan's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177053) 'this is real life, not a tv show' 

❤ [grim-lupine's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2771279) 'it’s been waiting for you' 

❤ [all you need to know (all you need to know)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/300052) by lakester, and a fic at [livejournal](https://lakester.livejournal.com/14349.html)

❤ [theobule's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5792665?view_full_work=true) 'usufruct'

❤ [rillalicious'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/168034) 'three years and counting' 

❤ [serendipityxxi's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/339600) 'three’s company too'

❤ [bwilla's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2352233) 'the way it was meant to be' 

❤ [charm2999's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16919400?view_full_work=true) 'home' 

❤ [nikmood's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2018235) 'babe'

❤ [Florchis'](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florchis/works?fandom_id=1685) 3 fics

❤ [Missy's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/works?fandom_id=1685) 3 fics

❤ [kahlantheconfessor's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3665016) 'coming home' 

❤ [trinity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4845404) by klutzy__girl

❤ [screamlet's](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1510535) 'it’s just the rest of our lives' 

❤ [lady_katana4544's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15189539) 'to want for both'

**Fanvids**

❤ [Lifemakesyourich's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ThNOasYHc) 'Me and You and Shawn' 

❤ [mashtonist's](https://youtu.be/2imgyBYjtzM) 'best I ever had'

❤ ['If I Were A Boy'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/459578), [Everything Comes And Goes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10326641) and [minivids](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15743550) by me!

**Tumblrs/gifs**

❤ Gorgeous [episode by episode](http://fredsythe.tumblr.com/tagged/*shoryee) gif sets of each episode relating to Cory/Shawn

❤ [My tumblr tag for the pairings](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/tagged/cory-x-shawn)

❤ [My](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/175963648398/boy-meets-world-coryshawn-text-posts) [C/S](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/175963425563/boy-meets-world-coryshawn-text-posts) [memes](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/175964153148/boy-meets-world-coryshawn-text-posts-bonus) [and](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/187471426193) [text posts](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/154036156483)

❤ [iloveitwhenyoucallmebabe's](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/13810620592) [C/S](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138397325128/iloveitwhenyoucallmebabe-cory-x-shawn-six) [text posts](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138209126818/food-as-sex-metaphor) [and](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138040271863/how-to-tell-if-youre-in-love-with-your-best) [memes.](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/138106259038/you-try-to-warn-him-you-tell-him-you-will-want-to)

❤ [lovemeinthatuniverse's post](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/633327305903800321)

❤ [mashtonist's](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/141087510233/id-take-a-b-u-l-l-e-t-for-you) gentle earth mashup

❤ [HeyMisterCory's text post](https://merry-melody.tumblr.com/post/146988095678/heymistercory-give-it-a-happy-ending-okay)

❤ [BMW x A Softer World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193945/chapters/66428401) (a new Tumblr's started up for BMW x ASW remixes, but as yet, they've not made any C/S edits.)


End file.
